U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 

division of entomology. 

Bulletin Xo. 12. 



SB 823 
.fl35 

Copy 1 MISCELLANEOUS iNOTES 



ON THE 



WORK OF THE DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY 




SEASON OF 1885, 



PREPARED BY THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. 



WASHINGTON: 

GOVEENMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 

188(3. 



i 



U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 

division of entomology. 

Bulletin No. 12. 



MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 



WORK OF THE DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY 



SEASON OF 1885, 



PREPARED BY THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. 



WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 

1886. 
17334-N0.12 c^i^V^-^ 



'i^> 



<^ 



\0 






LETTER OF SUBMITTAL. 



Department op Agriculture, 

Division of Entomology, 

Washinfjtun, I). C, June 7, 1886. 
HiR : 1 have the liouor to submit for publicatiou BuUetiu No. 12 of 
this Divisiou, whicli coutaius certain notes ou the work of the Division 
made duriug the year 1885, and which were excluded for lack of space 
from my report of that year. I have also added a paper ou Cicada 
septendecim, sent at my request by the author, and containing many 
interesting original observations, if not always agreeing with those of 
others. 

Eespectfnlly, 

C. V. RILEY, 

Entomologist. 
Hon. Norman J. Colman, 

Commissioner of Agriculture. 



CONTENTS, 



Page. 

Report on the productiou and manufacture of Bubach 7 

Additions to the third report on the causes of the destruction of the evergreen 

and other forest trees in Northern New England 17 

The Periodical Cicada in Southeastern Indiana 24 

Notes of the year :W 



PKODUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF BUHACH. 



By D. W. Coquillktt. 



Dear Sir : In accordance with your writteu request for me to pre- 
pare a report upon the growth, manufacture, &c., of the insect powder 
known as "Buhach", as practiced by the Buhach Producing and JMauu- 
factiiring Com])auy. of Stockton, Cal., I beg leave to submit the follow- 
ing : For much of the information contained herein I am indebted to 
Mr. G. N. Milco, one of the proprietors of the above tirm, and also to 
the pages of the Pacijic Kural Press. I obtained much information con- 
cerning this new iudustiy while staying at the company's plantation last 
summer when investigating the locust plague for the Department. 

The Buhach Producing and Manufacturing Company's plantation is 
situated about one mile east of At water Station, in Merced County, and 
containsSOO acres, 300of which are planted to I'yrethrum cinerariaifoHum, 
from the dried flowers of which the above company manufacture the 
insect powder to which they liave given the proprietary name of Bu- 
hach.* The soil of this plantation is a sandy loam, so sandy in fact 
that when the growing u])on it of the Pyrttlirum plants was first at- 
tempted many of the plants were buried beneath the loose, drifting 
sand which was blown about by the winds. To overcome this evil, 
lines of Lombardy and Carolina i)oplar trees were jdanted along the 
banks of the irrigating ditches to serve as windbreaks. 

The great Merced Irrigating Canal passes through the ujiddle of 
the Buhach plantation, and the hitter is supplied with water from it by 
a system of irrigating ditches which, if extended in any one direction, 
would reach to a distance of about thirty miles. 

The seeds of the Pyrethrum are sown in the spring or fall of the year, 
and are buried in the soil to the depth of about half an inch by lightly 
disturbing the soil with a rake. The seed-beds, which are uot unlike 
those used for starting cabbage and tomato plants, are occasionally 
sprinkled with water. During the rainy winter season the plants are 
transplanted to the fields, where they are set out in rows four feet 
apart, and two feet apart in the rows. During the dry summer season 
the plants are irrigated about once every month. 



* The word Buhach is derived from tbe Sclavonic word Buha, wliich signifies a flea ; 
but there is no such word as Buhach in the Sclavonic language. 

7 



In preparing the ground for irrigation a deep furrow is made between 
each two rows of the plants by means of a plow drawn by one horse; 
this plow is so constructed as to throw the dirt to each side of the fur- 
row. After one of the fields has been thus furrowed out, a cross-furrow 
is made at the ends of these furrows on the highest ground, and the 
water is turned into this cross-farrow from one of the irrigating ditches. 
From this furrow the water is in turn let into one of the other furrows, 
one or two at a time, according to the amount of water supplied by the 
cross-furrow. 

Dams are placed in the irrigating furrows at a distance of about one 
rod apart, and as soon as the furrow is filled with water to the first dam 
the latter is removed, and the water flows on to the second dam, and 
at the proper time this one is also removed; and this process is repeated 
until all the furrows have been supplied with water. 

The next day or so a one-horse cultivator is run once or twice through 
each of these furrows, for the purpose of filling them up, and also to 
loosen up the soil to prevent its drying out too rapidlj\ If the field is 
weedy the men follow with hoes, and cut out the weeds. 

In this manner the plants are treated until the time for gathering the 
flowers arrives, with the exception that the irrigating is dispensed with 
during the rainy winter season. 

A few of the plants will produce flowers the first year after having 
been transplanted to the fields, but they produce the most profusely 
about the third year. The majoritj- of the plants now growing upon 
the Buhach plantation are six years old, and still bear well. A certain 
proportion of the plants die every year, and their places are supplied 
with young plants during the winter season. 

The flowers are gathered during the mouths of May or June. The 
operator seizes all of the flower-stems growing upon one plant in one of 
his hands, and with the other cuts them ott' 3 or 4 inches above the 
ground by means of a sharp, hooked knife resembling an old-fashioned 
hand-sickle. They are then conveyed to a wooden stand to which is 
afiixed an iron comb, the teeth of which are wide enough apart to jier- 
mit the flower stems to pass between them, but are sufficiently close to- 
gether to catch the flower-heads. Tlie operator takes a handful of the 
flower stems, catching them below all of the flowers, and passes the 
stems between the teeth of the iron comb, the latter being between his 
hand and the lowest flower; then giving his hand a jerk the flowers are 
pulled ofl' of the stems and fall into a wooden box, while the stems are 
thrown to one side out of the way, to be burned as soon as drj- enough. 

The flowers are spread out to dry, and at night are covered up to pre- 
vent the dew from falling upou them, which would naturally injure 
their insecticidal qualities. As soon as they have been thoroughly dried 
they are put into sacks and sent in car-load lots to the mill at Stockton. 

Arriving at the mill the flowers are fed to a set of burr mill-stones, 
just as wheat is handled in making flour by the old process. The grist 



9 

is carried t)y an elevator to a separator wbicb, by proper sieves, sepa- 
rates tbe coarser particles of the grist, allowing ouly the finest, dust- 
like powder to pass through. This powder is carried by an elevator to 
an adjoining building, where it is put up iu tin cans for the market 
while the coarser particles thrown off" by the separator are returned to 
the millstones again. 

The flowers become considerably heated while being reduced to a 
powder, but tbe latter, in passing through a large series of elevators, 
loses its heat to a great degree before it is put into the cans for the 
market. 

This i)owder is put up in tin cans of five different sizes, holding re- 
spectively 2 ounces, 5 ounces, 10 ounces, 1 pound and 6 pounds. The 
2 ounce and 5-ounce cans are packed into boxes containing a dozen 
cans, and also into cans of 12 dozen cans each ; the 10-onnce and 1- 
pound cans are packed into boxes containing a dozen cans each, and 
the 6 pound can into boxes holding G cans. 

Each can of powder bears the com]iany's trade-mark, which is a guar- 
antee of the purity of the powder contained therein. The design of 
this trade-mark consists of an enlarged figure of a flea above, and a 
figure of a grasshopper below, while between them are the words : 
"Bnhach: (t. X. Milco's California Universal Insect Exterminator," and 
in the upper corners are the words "Trade-mark." The essential ele- 
ment of this trade-mark is the word Buhacb. 

Mr. Milco informs me that two years ago a certain firm doing busi- 
ness in this State undertook to put a fictitious article upon the market 
under tbe name of Buhach ; the Bubach I'roducing and Manufacturing 
Company brought a suit against them, but as tbe said suit has not been 
decided up to the present writing it is impossible to say what tbe out- 
come will be. 

Mr. Milco made the first experiment to introduce the growth of the 
Pyrethruiii cincraria'foliiim into this State in the year 1870. In 1S73 be 
sold a few pounds of tbe powder, at the rate of $16 per pound. In 1878 
he raised about 900 pounds of the powder, which at first he sold at the 
rate of -14.50 per pound, but finally reduced the price to $1.25 per pound. 

In the year 1879 Mr. J. D. Peters united with Mr. Milco in the culti- 
vation of tbe Pyrethrum cinerarkefolium and the manufacture of Buhach, 
under the firm name of the "Bubach Producing and Manufacturing 
Company," and for several years they sold the Buhacb at the rate of 
75 cents per pound, wholesiile. 

The present price of the Buhach is as follows: 

The G-pound cans are sold to the largest wholesale dealers at from 
45 to 50 cents per pound; the wholesale dealers sell them to retail deal- 
ers at tbe rate of 56i cents per pound, when a case of six cans is pur- 
chased at one time, but when less than a case is taken the price is 60 
cents per pound. Tbe retail dealers sell these cans to consumers at the 
rate of 75 cents per pound when the whole can is purchased at oue time, 



10 

but wheu only a fractioual part of the can is wanted the price is $1 per 
pound. 

The 1-ponnd cans are sold to wholesale dealers at the rate of $115.20 
per gross, less 15 per cent, discount; these are sold to the retail dealers 
at the rate of .$9.60 per dozen, and these dealers sell them to consumers 
at the rate of $1.25 jjer can. 

The 10 ounce cans are sold to wholesale dealers at the rate of .f 63 
per gross, less 15 per cent, discount; the wholesale dealers sell tliem to 
retail dealers at $5.25 per dozen, aud the latter charge the consumers 
75 cents per can. 

The 2-ounce cans are sold to wholesale dealers at tlie rate of $18 per 
gross, less 15 per cent discount.; the retail dealers pay $1.50 per dozen 
for these cans and sell them to consumers at the rate of 25 cents per can. 

The com[)any also puts up a small sample bos of the Buhach, which 
is mailed to all applicants free of charge. 

The company has two different kinds of instruments for distributing 
the dry Buhiich i)owder. One of these is called an " insufflator," and 
somewhat resembles a tin oilcan, such as is commonly used for oiling 
sewing-machines, but the distributing tube is jdaced low down on one 
side, while on the upjjer side is a tube, open at botii ends and projecting 
into the can; this tube contains a piston which, when i)uslied down- 
ward, throws the Buhach out of the disti'ibuting tube in a flue shower, 
while a spring again pushes the piston upward in its proi)er place as 
soon as the pressure from above has been removed. This instrument is 
held in one hand and the piston is operated by the thuuih of the same 
hand. It is intended for distributing the Buhach iu places where only 
a small quantity of it is required. 

It was formerly constructed with an opening iu the piston leading 
into the interior of the insufflator, through which the latter was tilled 
with the Buhach, the openiiig being afterwards closed with a tight-fit- 
ting cork ; but an inijjrovement has lately been made by having nearly 
the whole bottom in the form of a screw-cap, like that on glass fruit- 
jars, which can be removed by being unscrewed ; by this arrangement 
the insufflator can be filled much easier and quicker than by the old 
way. 

The i)resent price of this insufflator is 25 cents each. 

The second instrument, referred to above, is intended for distributing 
the dry Buhach in large quantities. It consists of a tin can somewhat 
resembling a common lard-can holding 5 pounds of lard. In the lower 
part of tlie can, upon one side, is an opening, into which the nozzle of a 
small hand-bellows is inserted, while on the opposite side, also near the 
bottom of the can, is a smaller opening, leading into a spoon-shaped 
nozzle on the outside. This nozzle is furnished with a slide, so arranged 
as to regulate the quantity of the buhach that is forced through it by 
the bellows. The top of the can has an opening 4 inches iu diameter, 



11 

aud is closed by a tiglitly-flttiug screwcap, similar to that of a glass 
fruit-jar. 

The price of this instrument is *2.5(). 

For applying the Buhach aud water the company has a small pump, 
which is attached to a galvanized iron vessel holding about 8 gallons. 
To this pump is attached HI feet of rubber hose, to the end of which is 
affixed a small iron tube 5 feet in length, and so constructed that sev- 
eral of them can be fastened together, eud to end. To tlie tip of this 
is attached a cyclone nozzle, which is screwed on to the end of the iron 
tube. This nozzle was iutroduced by the Department of Agriculture a 
few years ago, and is far superior to any otlier nozzle that I have ever 
seen. 

The pump consists of a strong brass tube about 2 feet in length, into 
which is fitted a i)istou or plunger, which is operated by one hand, while 
with the other the tube containing the nozzle is moved about at the will 
of the operator. 

The i)reseut price of this pump, complete, is $15. 

The cost of setting out an acre of Pyrethrum plants varies considerably, 
but should not exceed $90. If the plants are set out iu rows i feet apart, 
and 2 feet apart iu the rows, it will require about 5,445 plants to the 
acre. The plants should not cost more than 1 cent apiece, if grown by 
the person intending to plant them out, and the Buhach Company offers 
to send a package of the seeds of I'yrethrum cinerariwfoUum sufficient 
to plant an acre for the sum of $5. 

There will be little or no income from the plants the first year that 
they are tr.iusplantetl to the fields. After the second year the plants 
will yield from 300 to 000 pounds of dned flowers to the acre, but when 
the winter is dry and cold the plants will not yield more than 150 to 200 
l)ounds of dried flowei's per acre the following season. 

The kind of Pyrethrum now grown upon the Buhach Company's plan- 
tation is the cincrariwfolium. There are a few plants of the P. roscum 
growing iu their nursery, but this species is not cousidei'ed by them to 
be so desirable as the former species, although it is hardier aud easier 
to start from the seeds. When a flower of the cineraria'folium is crushed 
it gives forth a very strong odor peculiar to itself, and doubtless exist- 
ing in the insect-destroying property of these flowers. The flowers of 
P. rofieum give forth no odor when crushed, and the powder made from 
them is far inferior to that made from the flowers of cinerarifefolium, as 
far as its insecticidal qualities are concerned. 

The tlowers of all of the i-inerari<vfoUum plants api)ear at the same 
season of the year, or within a short time of each other, thus permittiug 
the whole field to be harvested at one time, whereas the roseum is much 
more irregular in its Howeriug, continuing to produce flowers during the 
greater part of the summer season, sometimes producing a second crop 
of flowers the same season, but it does uot blossom as profusely as the 
vinerariu'ft'liiim. 



12 

The in sect- destroying property of Buhach consists of a volatile oil 
which, iu evaporating, exhales a gas that causes death by asphyxia 
to those insects which breathe it, producing a similar effect upon insects 
that chloroform and ether have upon human beings. But, what is very 
singular, while being so destructive to insect life, Buhach has no injuri- 
ous eflect upon human beings. That such is really the case can easily 
be proved by a visit to Ibe company's mill at Stockton when in full 
operation. At such times the air in the room where the flowers are 
ground into powder is filled with the fine, dust like particles of the 
powder ; many of the workmen are obliged to remain in this room con- 
tinuously for several hours at a time, and take no more precautions 
against breathing the powder than a miller takes against inhaling the 
fine parti(;les of flour in his mill ; and yet they never suffer from the 
effects of thus inhaling the fine particles of the Buhach powder. 

Neither is the Buhach poisonous to either man or animals who eat 
some of it by chance or otherwise. Mr. Milco writes me that a tea- 
spoouful of the alcoholic extract of Bnhach was administered to a cer- 
tain person afflicted with tape-worm ; the dose was repeated every hour 
for ten consecutive hours, with the effect of removing the tape-worm 
without in the least degree injuring the patient. 

Neither is Buhach i)oisouous to insects. I have seen locusts feed 
upon cabbage leaves that had been so thoroughly sprayed with a solu- 
tion of Buhach and water that the leaves were thickly covered with 
Buhach after the water had evaporated ; still the locusts were not at 
all injured by thus feeding upon it. 

At the stables of the Buhach plantation several tons of the dried 
stems of the Fyrethrum clneraruv folium were fed to the horses; the lat- 
ter appeared to relish it very much, and I could not discover that they 
were injured in the least by thus feeding upon these stems. 

It is this perfect immunity from i)oisouous or other injurious qualities 
to those using it that has given to Buhach a prominent position among 
our insecticides, and makes it a perfectly safe remedy to use about the 
bouse. 

While in one form or another it is so destructive to insect life, still it 
appears to have little or no eflect upon the eggs; it also is not so fatal 
in its effects upon the pupa- or chrysalids of those insects which pass 
through a quiet pupa state as it is to the larvieand to the adult insects. 
It appears to have the greatest eflect upon the higher forms of insect 
life, while the lower or more or less degxaded forms are not so easily 
affected by it. 

Buhach is sometimes applied in a dry state, but for outdoor purjjoses 
this occasions a great loss, since the finer particles of the powder will 
float in the air, and be carried away by the wind. A much more satis- 
factory way of applying it is to mix it in water and spray the insects 
with the solution. 



13 

As the Bubach at first merelj' paralyzes the insect, it is necessary 
tliat tliis iufliience upon the hitter shoukl continue until death results. 
To accomplish this some viscid substance should be combined with the 
solution of Buhach and water, in order to cause the solution to adhere to 
the insects for a sufficient length of time to deprive the latter of their 
lives. One of the best known substances of this kind is glucose, a serai- 
liquid refuse of sugar refineries. This substance combines readily with 
the Buhach solution, and does not appear to have an injurious effect upon 
the plants that have been sprayed with it. A low grade of brown sugar 
would doubtless answer the same purpose, although not in an equal 
degree, not being so viscid when mixed with water. 

Besides using the Buhach in a dry form, and mixing it with water, it 
is sometimes also mixed with alcohol, in the proportion of 1 pound of 
Buhach to a quart of alcohol ; this should stand in a closed vessel for au 
hour or so, when it may be diluted with water to any extent required. 
In regard to this solution Prof. E. W. Hilgard, of the University of Cali- 
fornia, writes as follows to the Pacific Rural Press of May 5, 1883 (p. 
413): 

" I find that the effect of the Buhach is materially increased in dura- 
tion when instead of the tea the diluted tincture is used, as was sug- 
gested by Professor Riley two years ago. The reason is that the alco- 
hol extracts with the essential oil also a green resin, which prevents 
the too rapid evaporation of the volatile oil, and makes it stick to the 
insect. 

" A quart of alcohol to a pouiul of powder is the best proportion, but 
less alcohol may be used. The alcohol may simply be left on the powder 
for an hour, and the whole then put into 45 or 50 gallons of water, if to 
be used through a ' San Jos6 nozzle.' But it is far better to let the 
alcohol percolate through the powder, and thus get a clear tincture, of 
which aliquot parts may at any time be used through any nozzle what- 
soever, after proper dilution with water. Thus it becomes a great con- 
venience, since the insecticide .solution is ready at any moment without 
need of boiling or dissolving, and thus the work may be done just when 
wanted without any preparation. I find a solution made as above 
quite strong enough for any ordinary insect, including the hairy cater- 
pillar, which at first seems not to mind it much, but after a while tum- 
bles down and succumbs after vain efforts to crawl away. I have not 
had an opportunity of trying it upon the Diabrotica or 'spotted lady- 
bug,' but am told that it also succumbs despite its ability to eat almost 
anything from tobacco to belladonna and henbane. All the aphids 
yield to it at once, as does the Red Spider when hatched; but it will 
not kill eggs." 

In using the Buhach out of doors the best etfect will be obtained 
when the weather is still and rather cool. In very hot weather the in- 
secticidal properties of the Buhach evaporate too rapidly, thus render 
ing its time of action so brief as to permit the insect in many cases to 



14 

recover. In windy weather tbe evaporation is also rai)icl, and the deadly 
properties of tbe Bnbach are lost, being blown away from tbe insect, in- 
stead of being kept where tbe latter is comi)elled to breathe it. 

The following experiments with Bnbach were made tbe past season 
either by myself or where I was permitted to witness them in person: 

Tomato worms — the larviie of Mncrosila Carolina, Linn. — sprayed with 
a solution com])osed of one pound of Buliach stirred in ten gallons of 
water were killed in a few minutes by it. When lirst sprayed they mani- 
fested tbeir dislike by jerking their heads and the forepart of the body 
from side to side, at the same time emitting from their months a dark 
greenish, semi-liquid substance, as almost every locust or grasshoi)per 
will do when taken in the hand. The jerking gradually increased iu 
violence, until finally the worms let go their hold of the i)lauts and fell 
to the ground, where they wriggletl around for a short time, and finally 
expired. 1 am not aware that a single tomato worm treated with the 
above solution recovered from its effects. 

Theabovesolutiou ajjpeared to have noeSects upon a Bordered Squash- 
bug (Largus succinctm). 

At about 4 o'clock in the afternoon a Twelve-spotted Diabrotica (Dia- 
brotica dKodeciiiipunctata Fabr.) was immersed in a solution composed 
of one and one-half pounds of Buliach stirred into five gallons of water; 
it was still alive at 9 o'clock, but was dead when examined the next 
morning. 

A horned beetle (Xotoxioi caricornis LeC.) was immersed in the same 
solution and at the same time as the above ; it was^ still alive at 3 o'clock 
in the afternoon of the next day, but was dead when examined the fol- 
lowing morning. It became unabla to walk about five minutes after it 
had been immersed, and it remained in that condition, occasionally 
moving a leg or foot, until it died. Another specimen was spriidded 
with the dry jiowder, but was not killed therel)y; this would seem to in- 
dicate that Buhach wetted so as to adhere to the insect Is far more effect- 
ive than in a dry state, even though it is diluted to a considerable ex- 
tent with water. 

A black cricket (Gri/llus sp.?) sprayed with the above solution in the 
evening was dead the next morning. 

An Eleodcs (luiidricnllis LeC. that had been rolled in the pure Bnhacb 
was still alive eight days later, although it did not appear to be as 
sjtrightly as it was before being treated with the powder. 

A single application of Buhach, either in a dry state or when mixed 
with water or with alcohol, will not kill locusts or grasshoppers that 
have been dusted or sprayed with it. When treated to the powder or 
to either of the solutions they show signs of its effects in from ten min- 
utes to half an hour. At first the hind legs are affected, and the in- 
sects raise them over their backs and kick around for a short time, and 
finally lose all control of them, crawling about by means of their four 
anterior legs, and dragging their hind legs aftert hem. After a while 



15 

the locusts fall down, roll ouce uijon their sides or backs, jerk their legs 
occasionally, and gradually become (]uiet. They remain in this condi- 
tion for a longer or shorter time, aud gradually recover, but sometimes 
a whole day or a day aud a half passes after the application has been 
made before the locusts have wholly recovered I'rom the effects of it.* 

Although the locusts are not killed by a single application of the 
Buhach in either of the forms mentioned above, still they do not enjoy 
the same iiunuiuity wiien treated with an alcoholic extract of Buhach ; 
a few drops of this extract was dropped upon an adult locust at 1 
o'clock in the afternoon, and early the next morning the locust thus 
treated was dead. This extract is much stronger than the solution of 
Buhach and alcohol described above, and costs about $3 a pint. It 
failed to have a fatal effect upon the locusts when diluted with water 
to any consideralile degree. 

For the destruction of locusts and other insects that the Buhach will 
not kill outright, it may still be used with advantage by spreading 
blankets upon the ground beneath the tree or shrub infested with these 
insects, and tiien dusting the latter with the Buhach, or spraying with 
one of the solutions ; this will have the effect of causing the insects to 
fall upon the blankets in a |)erfectly helpless condition, when they can 
easily be gathered up and be tlestroyed by burning or otherwise. 

In order to give some idea of what success other persons have met 
with in using Buhach for the i)urpose of destroying various kinds of 
injurious insects, I will give a few extracts from coninuiuications made 
by the parties using this insecticide. 

The following is extracted from a commuuication which ai)peared in 
the Pacific Rural Prens of January 6, 1883 (p. 12): 

"The Buhach powder was mixed with cold water in the proportion of 1 
pound of powder to 50 gallons of water. On the 14th instant I sprayed 10 
apple trees, the branches of which were literally covered with the Cucum- 
ber-beetle [Biahrotica vittata), and the result was that these pests im- 
mediately fell to the ground in myriads. The spraying was done with 
a Merigot pump, and the trees were covered a short time only with a 
fine mist. Although several gallons were mixed, probably not over one 
gallon was used. I placed in a small box a number of the beetles that 
had been touched by the spray, and up to the present time all eftbrts 
to resuscitate them have failed. A small number of the insects which 
were not touched by the si)ray were placed in a phial, and are still liv- 
ing. The Cucumber-beetle plays havoc with pear blossoms and is other- 
wise destructive, and judging from the very signal success of my late 

"Locusts appear to be eudowed with more life than the geuerality of insects. On 
one occasion I saw a hind lejf of a Uifi'Breutial Locust {Caloptenus (Uffrrcittialts Thorn.) 
move after it had been separated from the body for several hours. The femur would 
draw the tibia toward it, then move it back again ; and the last moveraaut of this 
kind that I saw it make occurred rif/ft/ hours after the leg had been separated from the 
body. 



16 

experiment, I feel coufident that I will bave very little trouble in stop- 
ping its ravages during the fruit season. — Jos. Hales." 

The following appeared in the same journnal for October i;^, 1883 (p. 
306): 

" This year, with increased yards and more extensive plans, I had 
scarcely commenced my work when, to my great annoyance, vermin, 
and especially those mites which infest the nests of sitting hens, came 
in forces quite appalling. Old remedies were now again employed, but, 
as before, found insufficient to match the foe. Half discouraged, I was 
relating my trials to a neighboring druggist; he advised flea powder, 
and I purchased of him a bottle of Persian insect powder and at once 
tested its merits. I found it a partial, but only a partial, relief to the 
few nests where used. Thinking, however, that in this, though imper- 
fect, remedy I had perhaps a hint, a good suggestion, I at once sent to 
the producers and manufacturers of Buhach at Stockton, Cal., for a 
small can of their powder, to test still further that kind of ' death to 
vermin.' A package {one-fourth of a pound) of Buhach powder was 
promptly mailed to me, and used as soon as received. To my gratifica- 
tion, it seemed to be just the tiling I had long been looking for, yet half 
despaired of ever finding. The first quarter-pound of this powder ' did 
the business,' where used in sufficient quantity; but it was not enough 
to go around. So 1 secured more — two pounds — and I have tested it 
thoroughly. It is the thing for poultry. It is a success, especially 
when used freely and frequently. 1 have tested its merits in nests, upon 
chicks and hens, on I'oosts, in cracks and crevices of coo[is, &c., and 
with complete success everywhere, I believe. This Buhach powder is 
the cleanliest, simplest, most easily applied, and safest remedy for ver- 
min which I have yet found good enough." — Poultry (Iroirer. 

For further experiments with Buhach, I would refer the reader to the 
back numbers of the American Naturalist, and also to the several Re- 
ports of Prof. C. V. Eiiey, as entomologist to the Department of Agri- 
culture, contained in the Annual Reports of that Dejiartment. 

D. W. (JUQUILLETT. 
Prof. C. V. Riley, 

Entomologist. 



ADDITIONS TO THE THIRD REPOET ON THE CAUSES OF 
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE EVERGREEN AND OTHER 
FOREST TREES IN NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND. 



By A. S. Packakd. 



TNTRODUCTORY NOTE. 

In Dr. Packard's third report, prepared for the Report of the Ento- 
mologist, Annual Report of the Department of Agriculture for 1885, was 
contained certain matter, mainly descriptive, which, though valuable, 
was considered hardly appropriate for a report which it is desired to 
make severely plain and practical. This matter was, therefore, pruned 
from the Annnal Report and is published here in the more limited edi- 
tion of the Bulletin.— (C. V. R.) 

THE BLACK-HEADED SPRUCE BUD WOR>I. 

(Teras variana, n. sp., Fernald.) 

This caterpillar is so commonly met with on the sjiruce and tir that we 
have given it the above English name, though there are other species 
which have green bodies and black heads. We first met with it on the 
terminal shoots of the Black Spruce on Peaks Island, in Portland Har- 
bor, June 22, 1881 , and also at Brunswick and Harpswell on the day 
following, when it was associated with the caterpillars of the Spruce 
Bud-worm [Tortrix fmnifernna). Unlike that species it does not, so far 
as we have observed, cause anj' decided alteration in the appearance of 
the shoots of the tree, not being social or abundant enough to strip the 
leaves from a single shoot, as in the case of the Spruce Bud-worm, or 
the Reddish-yellow Spruce Bud-worm {Stegunoptycha ratzehur<iiatta) 
found on the White Spruce last season. 

The egg-laying habits are not yet known, as none of the moths on 
issuing from the chrysalis mated or i)roceeded to deposit eggs. 

The caterpillars usually live near the ends of the shoots, feeding on 
the new leaves, which begin to grow out early in June; cutting off the 
tender leaves, they make a passage-way between them and the shoot, 
which they line with white silk. When disturbed they rapidly crawl 
out of their silken retreat and let themselves down to the ground by a 
1733i— No. 12 2 17 



18 

silkeu thread. They are very net ive in their habits andiu coutiuement 
in tin boxes will squeeze through the narrow space between the box and 
the cover, so that only an unusually tightly closed box will confine 
them. Sometimes, at least in two instances, the caterpillars construct a 
case of the leaves which they had cut off at the end of a fresh bud. 

The caterjiillars were very abundant this year in spruce and firs on 
the shores and islands of Casco Bay, from June 10 until July 20. As 
full-grown larvte are abuudant during the early part of June, it seems 
that it hibernates among the shoots of the tree during the winter, and 
that as in the case of the Spruce Bud-worin {Tortrix /iimi/emnu) it 
hatches in August, or at least late in the summer, and becomes nearly 
fully grown before cold weather sets in. 

The caterpillar when fully grown is of the usual shape of a leaf-roller, 
deep green, with a dark reddish head and cervical shield ; before the 
last molt the head and prothoracic or cervical shield are black. 

From the lAth to the 16th of June the caterpillars change to chrys- 
alides within the slight white cocoon they spin among the bases of the 
leaves next to the shoot. The moths begin to issue early in August, 
and continue to appear u.itil tlie iniildle of the month. In one case the 
insect pupated from July Gth to the 10th, the moth issuing on the 19th; 
hence the pupal period lasts about two weeks. Others which pupated 
July li to 10 ai)i)eared three weeks later. None of the insects lingered 
in the pupa state beyond the 14th of August. The moths are subject 
to great variation, the details of which are given in the description. 
In their color they are assimilated to the moss-covered bark of the 
larger branches of the trees they rest on. 

The caterpillars are sometimes preyed upon by ichnoumons, two 
small Ichneumonidie having been bred from i)upa' in confinement. Xo 
Chahiid parasites have yet been observed to prey upon this species. 

Should the worms attack shade or ornamental firs and spruces, they 
can be subdued by spraying and striking the branches and shoots so as 
to dislodge the worms. 

DKSCRIPTIVE. 

Larvn before the Iiini molt. — Body pale green, nearly of the color of the fresh leaves, 
with the head and cervical or iirothoracic shield black. LenRth, 10-11""". 

Full-grotfii larva. — Body pale pea-green, moderately thick, gradnally tapering from 
the middle to tlie end of the body. Head of the usual shape, somewhat bilobed, not 
so wide as the body; dull reddish amber, or greeuish-yellow amber-colored iu front; 
jiartly bron'^iish-black behind and on the sides, the black forming two patches on 
the vertex. Prothoracic or cervical shield black on a greenish ground ; varying to 
greenish-amber edged behind with hl.ackish ; sutures and lateral ridge slightly tinged 
with yellowish. On the body-segments the piliferous warts green, not distinct : 
arranged as usual in a tr.a])ezoid. Thoracic h gs greenish amber-colored, first pair 
larger and darker than the others ; abdominal legs pale green, concolomus with the 
body. Length, 12-14""". 

Pupa.— iiody rather slender, the double rows of dorsal spines as usual, but the 
sjiines are smaller and not so sharp as usual. End of the abdomen broad, square, and 
much tlattened vertically, with a small down-curved spine on each side ; on the 
square edge of the tip are from four to six slender, small, curved, stiff bristles. There 



19 

are two similar bristles on the uudersiile writhia the edge of the sriuare tip. Length, 
6-9""". 

Moth. — Head white or suboehreous ; palpi dull gray, with white scales. Thorax 
either white and black or reddish ochreous with white scales. Fore wiags with the 
basal third either black, gray or snow white; usually dark gray; on the outer edge 
of the dark portion are two groups of sharply raised scales. Beyond is an irregular 
white band, the white sometimes obscured by gray scales ; this baud is very irregu- 
lar in width, being narrow on the costa, -widening towards the middle of the wing • 
it is indented on the inner side at the second tuft of raised scales ; where the band is 
widest, viz., on the outer edge behind the middle of the wing, is a deep sinus, very 
distinct in those specimens where the band is white; on each side of the mouth of 
the sinus is a sharp tuft of raised black scales, and withiu (one near the costa) are 
the smaller tufts. In those specimens in which the rest of the wing is whitish there 
is a large triangular d.irk spot, with the base resting on the costa; usually, however, 
the outer third of the wing is dusky or clear gray, with dark specks and clouds, and 
the triangular patch is obscured. Sometimes when the wing is clear gray the veins 
on the outer third are hardly clouded with a darker shade of gray. Hind wings and 
abdomen slate gray. Expanse of wings, la-lS"'™. 

This is a very variable moth, but the four or five raised tufts are nearly always 
present. Some striking varieties are here noted : 

(n) Fore wings gray, with a broad whitish-gray baud, just before the middle of the 
wing; the large dark triangular spot not present. 

(b) The outer third of the wing concolorous with the band, thus leaving a large 
distinct triangular spot. 

(f) Fore wings snow white at bas(^, with a snow-white band near the base, in the 
outer edge of which the sinus is very distinct; the outer third of the wing is either 
white or blackish. 

{d) The base of the fore wings clear, deep ochreous, :iud ochreous streaks ou the 
thorax. 

((■) The most aberrant form, and which would readily be referred to a distinct spe- 
cies if it had not been reared from the same kind of caterpillar. It has a dark, gray- 
ish-white head, and two black bands on the thorax. The fore wings are dark gray, 
finely lined and mottled with black, but interrupted by a broad, very conspicuous, 
clear ochreous band extending from the base of the wing to the apex, inclosing the 
median vein and submedian fold. There is only a single high black tuft on the lower 
edge of the basal third of the wing. One appeared July 3U, and another August 20. 
Hind wings dark slate gray, with an obscure ochreous slash at the apex. 

The following description was prepared by Professor Fernald from 
five specimens sent him : 

Head and palpi ashy gray, the latter a little darker ou the outside. 

The thorax is dark ashy gray, with a few blackish cro.ss-streaks on the forward part 
of it, and there is a stout thoracic tuft tipped with reddish brown ou the posterior 
part. 

The fore wings are ashy gray, variegated with black and white, with a few yellow- 
ish .scales intermingled. The basal patch is black, more or less broken with whitish, 
and has three black tufts of scales on the outer edge — one on the fold, another ou 
the cell, and the third between this last and the costa. An oblique band, white 
on the costa, but suti'used below, starts from the basal third of the costa and crosses 
the wing outside of the basal patch. The inner margin of this band is slighcly an- 
gulated, the most prominent angle being on the fold. The outer side of the band 
gives oft' a prominent angle ou the cell, which ends at a large tuft of black scales 
near the end of the cell, and there are several other tufts along the outer margin 
of this baud. The surface of the outer part of the wing is of a somewhat leaden 
blue color, especially when worn, and mottled with black, white, and yellow scales, 



20 

Ijiit the black is mostly iu coarse streaks coutaining several small tiifts. The coata 
beyond the middle is blackish, with three small white spots at nearly e(i\ial dis- 
tances apart. The fringes of the fore wings, the npper side of the hind wings and 
abdomen are darker gray with a silky Instre. The niider side of the hind w ings 
is lighter, with darker cross-streaks or reticulations, which are mnch brighter to- 
wards the apex. The under side of the fore wings is dark gray, except along the 
costal border, where the markings of the upper side are dimly reproduced. The 
legs are brown on the ontside, but pale yellowish within and on the end of the 
joints. This seems to be a very variable species, and at first sight one might think 
that there were more than one species. 

One variety has the top of the head yellowish, and the oblique band an<l outer 
part of the wiug dull whitish and slightly touched with yellowish. Another va- 
riety is quite dark, and has a broad bright ochre yellow band through the middle 
of the fore wing, from the base to the apex. 

A third variety, in very poor condition and bred on white spruce in Ashland, Me., 
has the liead white and the basal part of the fore wings white with only slight traces 
of the black tufts and markings. Expanse of wings, 14™'" (Feruald). 

THE FIR TORTRIX. 

{Toririx pacliardiana, n. sp., Fernald.) 

This moth was bred from the fir on Peaks Island, Casco Bay, Maine, 
and sent to Professor Feruald, who regarded it as new and sent us the 
following description : 

Head whitish; palj)i and thorax ashy gray; fore wings with a whitish ground 
color, and marked with black, which is more or less ovei'laid with pale bluish or 
whitLsh scales. The black basal patch has an obtuse angle pointing out on the mid- 
dle of the wings. An oblique black band broken in the cell crosses the middle of the 
wing. A black patch rests on the costa before the apex, marked with one or two 
white costal spots ; a similarly colored patch withiu ,aud above the anal angle, and 
.still another on the outer border inclosing the apex, scuds in a square projection to- 
wards the eud of the cell. All the black markings are overlaid more or less with 
white scales, and the white portions of the wings are somewhat stained with gray. 
The fringes are dark smoky brown. 

The hind wings and abdomen above are ashy gray. Fringes lighter. Under side 
of the fore wings ashy gray, with the white costal marks reproduced. Underside of 
the hind wings whitish, irrorate with gray. Expanse of wings, 16-18""". 

Bred from Fir by Dr. A. S. Packard, for whom I name this species iu 
recognition of his extensive and valuable work on North American in- 
sects. 

THE BED SPRUCE BUD-WORM. 

{Gelechia obliquistrigella Chambers.) 

[Plate I, Fig. 2.] 

Associated with the preceding bud-worm occurred in abundance, both 
on the terminal shoots of the spruce and tir, a little reddish cylindri- 
cal caterpillar, about two thirds as largo as the larva of Teras vnriana, 
and very active in its habits. It occurred as early as the 10th of June, 
but it disappeared earlier than the caterpillar of Teran rariana, and 
the moths, which were common, flying in spruce at and soon after the 
middle of July, were not seen after the first week iu August. 



I 



21 

The caterpillars were beaten from the trees from Juue 10 to July 17; 
after that it was impossible to fiud any of them. The moths began to ap- 
pear July 16-19, and continued to emerge in the breeding boxes until 
August I. The duration of the pupa state is about one week 

It is evident that the species is siugle-brooded and that the caterpil- 
lar is hatched in August, and becouies nearly full grown in the early 
autumn, hibernating when nearly full-fed, since the fully grown cater- 
pillars are abundant by the first week of June. ' The species has been 
identified for me by Professor Fernald. It was described from Ken- 
tucky by Mr. Chambers, but the larva and food plant have been hitherto 
unknown. 

When about to i)upate it spins a small, thin, delicate cocoon, being a 
tubular case of silk covered with bits of the .scales of the spruce or lir 
buds. It is placed next to the shoot in the d6bris made by the larva at 
the base of the leaves. Length, 6"""; diameter, 2""". 

DESCRII'TIVE. 

Liiitti. — Body cyliudrical, of the usual fonii, reddish brown iu color, aud al)out 
6-7"'"" in length. 

I'lipu. — Body rather thick, of the usual pale mahogany brown color, the antennie 
and tips of the wings on the under side reaching to the middle of the iifth abdominal 
segment. End of the abdomen full and rounded, with about ten unecjual, irregularly 
situated slender bristles, which are slightly curved at the end; besides these there 
are several tine bristles along the side of the body near the tip. Length, 5""". 

Molh. — Head cream white; antenme with the basal (second) joint white, beyond 
ringed with white aud black. Palpi white, first and second joint speckled with 
black, second (longest) joint oohreous at the end; third (last) joint with two black 
rings of unequal size, the outer the longer; the tip white. Fore wings moderately 
wide, oblong ovate. Ground color ochreous whiti.sh gray; costal region blackish, 
base black. A broad oblique band proceeds from the costal edge to the middle of the 
submedian sp.ace, ending in two white spots ; there are some whitish scales on the 
outer edge of the baud. Just before the middle of the wing is a broad irregular black 
band, and beyond it in the submedian space a blacU spot. A third broad black band 
crosses the wing, ending on the hind margin and breaking up into three black spots 
on the hind margin ; the band incloses near them two twinned white dots. Near the 
outer fourth of the wing is a conspicuous white line, sharply bent outwards just be- 
hind the middle of the wing ; beyond the apex of the angle of the line are several 
white scales. At the base of the fringe is au oblique line of black scales. The fringe, 
like the adjoining part of the wing, is of mixed gray ochreous, with black scales. 
Hind wings rather broad, pointed, pearly slate gray. Legs, including tarsi, banded 
with black. Expanse of wings, 13 '. 

When rubbed the green color of the fore wings becomes paler, and the three oblique 
black bands are more distinct. 

IHE EVEEGKEEN SPAN-WORM. 

(Thtra confraetata Packard.) 

A very common caterpillar on various evergreen trees, such as the 
Spruce, White Pine, Hackmatack, and the bush or common Juniper, is 
a little green one, striped with white, which is so assimilated in color to 
the glaucous green leaves with their whitish under side as to enable the 
caterpillar to escape ordinary observation. 



22 

During the past summer I have found this caterpillar most frequently 
on the common Bash Juniper in Maine, but in former years have beateu 
the cbrysalids out of the trees already meutioned. 

The caterpillar is found in July, but becomes fully grown from the 
1st to the 15th of August. Before transforming, it spins the leaves 
together with a few coarse silk threads and remains in the tree. Those 
reared ou the Juniper became chrysalids by the 19th or 20th of August, 
and the moths appeared by the 9th of September, so that the pupa state 
lasts about three weeks. The moths continue to appear until the mid- 
dle or last of September. Those found ou the Spruce appeared Septem- 
ber 15, and a pupa found ou the White Pine disclosed the moth Sep- 
tember 1.3. Probably by the middle of September all the moths have 
appeared. Whether they hibernate and lay their eggs in spring, or 
whether their eggs are laid in the autumn ou the terminal twigs, and the 
species is alone represented by the eggs, remains to be ascertaiued. 

The moth is easily recognized by the sliarp fore wings with the narrow, 
dark, mesial band, which is black and very narrow ou the inner edge, 
and by the pale zigzag line reappearing beneath, also by the black 
streak near the apex and a smaller apical black dot. It is closely re- 
lated to the European T. juniperuiu, which I'eeds ou the common Juniper. 

DE.SLIUPTIVE. 

Liiica. — Body smooth, cylindrical; head smooth, slightly bilobed, not quite so wide 
as the body. Head and body green, the color of the upi)er side of the juniper leaves 
on which it feeds. A broad pale glaucous white diusal baud, on each side of which is 
a yellowish-white line, which extends along the sides of the supra-anal plate, but rot 
meeting its fellow at the apex. Anal legs broad and large, green, with two tuber- 
cles which are large and rounded conical. Thoracic legs pink. Leiigth, 16""". 

Pupa. — Of the usual family shape ; green, with a white lateral stripe from the head 
to the tip of the abdomen, and another lower down along the abdomen, as well as two 
parallel dorsal whitish stripes. Abdominal spine larger and longer than usual, tlat- 
teued vertically, acute, surface corrugated ; two stout terminal bristles excurved at 
the ends, a much smaller pair at base of these and along the sides of the spines two 
additional pairs. Length, (i""". 

Moth. — Pale ash, base of fore wings with two bent parallel black lines, the outer 
heavier, and marked with longitudinal stripe on the veinlets. Beyond is a broad pale 
baud slightly bent on the median vein. Still beyond is a medi.an band margined with 
black, narrowing more than usual ou the inner margin of the wing, where the two 
black margins meet, forming two contiguous black patches; in front the baud in- 
closes obscure ashen ringlets. A black discal dot ; heyond, an obscure pale patch. 
A white zigzag marginal line, the sharp scallops inclosing dark dots. Hind wings 
nuiformly pale ash color, crossed by two dusky lines. Expanse of wings, 25"'"' (one 
inch). 

THE PINE PHEOCYMA.* 

{Pheocyma lunifera Hiibu.) 

DESCRIPTIVE. 

Larra. — Body long and slender, tapering considerably behind the fourth pair of 
abdominal legs. Head not so wide as the body, rather deeply bilobed, with a lateral 
V-shaped white spot. A pair of small prominent tubercles on top of the eighth ab- 

* This descriptive matter is additional to the note published on i>. 3'.J7 of the An- 
nual Report for 18S.0. 



23 

domiual segment, and iu place of them on tUe segments is a pair of more widely 
divergent sbort black dashes : on the segment next to the last is a transverse ridge. 
Anal legs long and slender. General color of the body wtiod or horn brown, of the 
shade of old twigs, sometimes reddish or greenish. Head marbled with a set of 
transverse wavy whitish lines on each side of the median line. Body with a lateral 
row of black dots; beneath, much paler, glaucous green. Length, 35™"'. 

The larva' are very variable; in some the body is reddi.sh with longitudinal bands 
much more distinct than usual ; in some the body is pale pea-green, a little paler than 
the pine leaves ; there is a tirm, quite wide medio-dorsal line, and on the sides a wider 
white line next to the broader very couspicnous jjale red spiracular line, which is 
similar in c<dor to the reddish sheath of the pine leaf. Head reddish, with the cbar- 
acteristic oval white spots on each side. In others (as jjitch pine) the body is beau- 
tifully marbled with gray and whitish. A V-shaped white spot on the side of the 
head. On the segment next to the last abdominal are two small inconspicuous warts. 
A faint, broad, grayish-white dorsal baud, broadly interrupted at the sutures of the 
segments by an irregular transverse umber-brown stripe. A faint lateral broad band, 
containing on the side of each segment a clear, white point. Length, 42'"'". 

Pupa. — Of the usual rather slender Catocala shape, covered with a slight whitish 
bloouj. The abdominal tip rather blunt, the surface corrugated with irregular longi- 
tudinal furrows above and on the sides; spine small, bearing at the end two very 
large, long stout bristles curved outwards at the ends, which are blunt; at their base 
are two pairs of slender bristles. Length, 17""". 

Moth. — Body and wings dark ash-gray and reddish brown; thorax crested, dark 
reddish brown, with two blackish transverse lines. Patagia with a white stripe be- 
hind the middle and white scales at the tip; hinder part of the thorax dusted with 
white. Fore wings black and reddish brown at base, with interrupted and broken 
black and white lines. Within the middle of the wing is a broad, slightly sinuous 
whitish-gray band. A large black mark forming a hollow square, the hollow gray- 
ish, at the end of the discal space. Beyond this spot are two nearly parallel black 
lines, the inner bent inwards at a right angle upon the costa, and .sending an angle 
into the extra-discal space; the lino is bent outwards on the 1st median vein, then 
curving inwards and ending on the hind margin of the wing. The outer line curves 
outwards on the costa towards the apex, is bent on the 1st median vein, and behind 
is nearly parallel with the inner line. A liue black scalloped hair-line at the base of 
the fringe, which is darker on the points of the scallops. Hind wings with a double 
black curved baud beyond the middle, the space within the lines filled in with 
black towards the hinder edge of the wing. An indistinct broad diffuse shade passes 
across the wing just within the middle. On the under side of both pairs of wings 
the discal dots are present, and there is a diffuse dark line common to both wings. 
Expanse of wings, Sti"™. 



■THE PERIODICAL CICADA IN SOUTHEASTERN INDIANA. 



By Amos W. Butler, Brnokvilli; Iml. 



lu presenting what I have to say concerniug the Periodical Cicada, I 
have tried not to follow m the footsteps of others. I have gathered 
much information that is new to me, and, coupled with this, the fact that 
these observatioi}S were made in a locality where this insect had not 
been previously studied shall, I trust, assure me your consideration. 

From our older inhabitants I learn the Cicada has heretofore ap- 
peared in Franklin County in the years 1S34, 1851; and 18G8. This 
year I have received reports of its occurrence in the counties of Dear- 
born, Decatur, Eush, Union, Ripley, Franklin, Fayette, Wayne, and 
Delaware. The latter, however, is not one of the counties in the south- 
eastern part of the State. In Delaware County my informant reports 
it as "not abundant"; in Union County it was very common; and, I 
should think, was as numerous in Dearborn and Ripley Counties. In 
this county and in Fayette it was at no i)lace as common as was ex- 
pected. We are entirely without the range of the thirteen-year race. 

The regularity of its appearance in certain localities is very interest- 
ing. Dr. George Sutton, of Aurora, writes me: "In 1851 the first I 
saw fully developed was on the 24th of May. In 1868 I first saw them 
on the 28th of May. This year 1 discovered them on the 29th of May, 
although there was evidence that a few had made their api)earance a 
day or so before." Its appearance in Franklin County this year was 
very irregular. The first representatives appeared in a few localities 
on May 28, and in such localities Cicadas were rather common two days 
later. In other places, less than half a mile fiom those Just mentioned, 
no Cicadas appeared until June 4, and in other neighborhoods they were 
even alter in coming forth. 

Many pup.p were turned up by the plow in April and May. When 
these insects emerge from the ground it is with a rush, and a lively 
scramble ensues for each elevation near the point of their emergence. 
Trees, bushes, weeds, poles, stumps, fences — in short, everything upon 
which they can get above the level of their recent homes is ascended. 
A friend tells me that his hogs thought so much of the Cicadas as an 
article of food that they would not return to their accustomed feeding 
24 



25 

place. They preferred fo remaiu within the woodland at night, and one 
morning he found attached to the hair of the animals^a number of pupa 
cases. The Cicadas had clatnberetl ui>on the backs of the hog.s, and 
there left their outer garments. I have learned of several instances iu 
■which hogs discovered the Cicadas before they emerged from the ground, 
and iu some localities they rooted over a considerable amount of ground, 
to some depth, searching for this new-found food. Farmers gathered 
the immature insects upon their appearance and fed them to poultry. 

In most localities where they had been abundant seventeen years 
before they appeared this year, but in many instances but few insects 
represented the vast numbers of their previous maturity. In many 
places where they were abundant at tiieir last preceding appearance no 
rei)resentatives appeared this year. Many were there which did not 
emerge from the pupal covering, but from the beat of the morning sun, 
the attacks of birds and of insects, perished. 

May 31 they began making their peculiar noise, and by June 7 the 
■woods resounded with their rattling notes. June o they began mating. 
Five days later most of them a])peared to be mated. Ten days after 
beginning matiugthey commenced depositiugeggs. In this work I have 
always seen the female with the head higher than any other part of the 
body. Owing to this fact the eggs appear on some trees to bave been 
dei)osited from a certain direction, while on others the opposite appears 
to be the direction whence they came. Upon the oak and apple, trees 
whose limbs generally grow quite erect, the ovipositor has been inserted 
from above, or from towards the end of the limb; while ui)on beech, elm, 
and other trees, which have a drooping habit, the eggs were deposited 
from the opposite direction, that toward the base of the limb. Tiie fe- 
male etfects an opening into the wood by means of two small saw-like 
organs. An excavation is made, consistingof two ai)artments separated 
by a thin partition of wood. Into these cavities the ovipositor is in- 
serted ; apparently an egg is de|)osited in each of these chambers at the 
same time, aud each one is lying at the same angle with the partition 
wall. The eggs are packed very regularly, and under a glass of low 
power look very much like grains of rice. The openings of these egg- 
cavities are from five-sixteenths to one-half of an inch in length, and 
were found three-eighths, and occasionally a few one-half, of an inch 
apart. Sometimes but two or three punctures were to be seen on a 
limb, aud again I he punctured limb would be upwards of a foot in length. 
A liuib of Black Gum (Ny.ssa midtiJloi-a,Wiiug.), showing a line of inci- 
sions IS inches long, proved by actual count to have 48 egg chambers 
upon it, all iu a straight line, and doubtless the work of a single insect. 
The largest limb found punctured was not over one half an inch iu dia- 
meter. Egg-laying was not confined to trees of any particular species, 
yet there were some kinds of trees apparently more desirable than 
others. 



2G 

Beech {Fmjus ferruginea, Ait.), Maple (Acer sacc/wrinum, Wang.), Oak 
(Quercus, several species), Honey Locnst (Gleditschia triaeanthos, L.), 
Black Grum {Xyssa multiflora,\\ang.),Thoru (Cratwgvs, several species), 
Wild Crab-apple {Pyrus coyonaria, L.), Elm ( Ulmus fulva, Miclix. and 
U. americana, L.), Osage Orange {Madura aurantiaca, 'Sntt.), Sycamore 
{Platanus occidentalis, L.), and among orchard trees, Apple, Qniuce, and 
Peach, were trees upon which the females deposited their eggs in great- 
est numbers, but, from the fact that all of these trees are not present in 
equal numbers, thej' could only be occupied in ])roportion to their 
abundance. Cicadas were also found laying upon the Tulip Tree {Lirio- 
dendron tnlipifera, L.), Black Locust (Robinia pseudacacia, L.), Sweet- 
brier {Rosa rubiginoxa, L.), Ued Bud {Ccrcis canadensis, L.), Grape 
{Vitus cordifolia, Michx.), Poison Ivy {Rhus toxicodendron, L.), Catalpa 
{Cafalpa bignonioides, Walt.), an<l upon the domesticated species of I'luin, 
Pear, Gooseberry, and Currant. I have found them very rarely ovii)Osit- 
iug on Hiciiory {Carya, several s])ecies). Ash (Fraxinus americana, L.), 
. Linden {Tilia americana, L.), Walnut {JugJans nigra, L.), and Butternut 
{'J. cinerea, L.). No eggs were found upon the Wild Cherry {Prunus 
serofina, Ehr.), or upon *he cultivated Cherry. 

Twenty-three days after the appearance of the Cicadas a perceptible 
decrease in numbers was observed. Up to this time the males had 
greatly outnumbered the fenmles, but the decrease in numbers appears 
to come from the disappearance of the former, which, being the first to 
^appear, are also the first to leave us. Nine daj's later but few examples 
conld be fonnd, and these were mostly females. Thirty-nine days after 
appearing but an occasional Cicada could be found, and their season 
may be said to be ended. These observations were made in localities 
where they first ai)peare(l, but observations in other places sustain the 
chronology I have given. At a point 5 miles east of Brookville, on July 
15, nine days after they had disappeared from the river valleys, I found 
Cicadas abundant and very active, indicating tliat they had not yet 
reached the wane of their nuiturity. 

The typical species. Cicada septendecim, L., and the smaller form, cas- 
sinii, Fisher, were both found here, but the hitter was much the more 
common. Each form frequents a different locality. 

I have never seen a place where the territory of the two kinds could 
be said to overlap. Trne it is that an occasional representative of one 
form may be found within the range of the other, but such cases are 
rare, and when they do occur are easily distinguished. 

There are three different sounds produced by the Cicada. The note 
of surprise is one whi'jh never fails to startle tlie intruder; it is a shrill 
screech of varying length. When several insects utter this noise at the 
same time it is almost deafening to one who is close at hand. Another 
sound is the peculiar rattling noise made by the insect when fiying. 
This utterance is very monotonous, without inflection, and prolonged 
to various lengths according to the distance of flight. The sounds just 



27 

meutioiied were uttered by both forms of the insect found here, and 
were so nearly alike that that uttered by either species could not be 
distinouished from similar sounds of its relative. I was somewhat sur- 
prised at this. The difference in the size of the insects and therewith 
in the size of the sound Organs and of the controlling muscles should, 
I thought, indicate a difference in the sound produced. In the third 
distinct sound, that in which the males display their musical charms to 
the other sex, I found a difference which, in all the investigations I 
made, proved constant. The note of the varietal form is uttered with- 
out much change of tone and, individually, is quite low compared with 
that of the other form, but collectively the noise, when the observer is 
near, sounds like the rushing of a strong wind through trees of dense 
foliage. I have distinguished this sound at a distance of a quarter of 
a mile from the place of its origin, and at that distance it sounded like 
the noise made by a swarm of bees passing through the air close at 
hand. The sound made by the specific form is so peculiar as to at 
once attract attention. It is uttered in an uncertain quivering way, 
gradually rising, then falling and passing away as though ended by 
the exhaustion of the insect. This sound is well represented thus: 
Fee-ero-o o. My friend, M. J. F. JMcKee, whose valued assistance I 
have had in preparing my notes on the Cicada, wat ;hed the action of this 
insect in giving utterance to this sound. He says: "The male Cicada 
(C septendecim) assumes a position on the upper side of a limb iv on 
the body of a tree, always with the head upward, then 't elevates the 
posterior emi of its body, at the same time appearing to inflate the 
abdomen. With the beginning of the sound the elevated portion of the 
body descends, the abdomen appears to contract until, when the parts 
reach their natural position, the notes cease. The insect then remains 
quiet for a period about equal to the length of the musical effort, when 
the perforujauce is repeated. A noise may be produced from a freshly- 
killed male by taking hold of each end of the body with one's fingers, 
and alternately expanding and contracting the abdomen, similar to the 
manner in which an accordion is played. The sounds thus produced 
are not similar to those produced by the insect itself, but in many par- 
ticulars there is a decided resemblance, and this, I think, demonstrates 
the manner in which the sounds are produced." Evidently this is done 
by inflating the hollow abdomen with air, and then forcing the air 
against the corrugated surface of the insect's drum-like membranes, 
when, by the vibration of these membranes as permitted by the power- 
ful muscles attached thereto, the noise is jiroduced. I have not been 
enabled to make as satisfactory an examination of variety cassinii when 
uttering its sounds. They are evidently produced in a similar manner, 
but the motions occurring are different, a trembling of the posterior 
parts being all that 1 have discovered. 

Toward the latter part of their lives the Cicadas appear to be affected 
by a peculiar fungus growth. This is most common to the males, but 



28 

females are also affected by it. Dr. E. G. GraliE, a friend whose as- 
sistance I value highly, has, at my request, examined the Cicada with a 
microscope. The result of his examiuatiou I give in his own words: 

"An examination of many of the Cicadffi reveals the fact that they 
have lost several of the posterior segments of the abdomen, and that 
this part of the insect is filled with a mealy-looking substance of a some- 
what yellowish color. I subjected this substance to microscopical ex- 
amination and found it to consist of numberless spherical bodies having 
the general appearance of spores, and it probably is the Massospora 
cicadina (Peck.), but as I had no descrii)tion of this fungus I could not 
be certain of this. 

"In Bulletin No. 8 of the United States Dei)artmeut of Agriculture, 
Division of Entomology, Prof. Charles Riley mentions this fungus, and 
quotes Mr. R. H. Warder, of Cleves, Ohio, who states that ' It seemed 
to be a drying up of the contents and membranes of the abdomeu,' and 
that he found it in the males who may have lost the posterior segments 
of the abdomen during copulation, and alludes to it as a 'dry rot,' 
which 'might be the result of the broken membranes.' 

'• He further states that he ' never found a perfect male thus affected,' 
but finally concludes that 'this is not positive proof.' Whether or not 
Mr. Warder examined this substance microscopically is not stated, but 
true it is that in the Cicadse of this year the microscope and the various 
straining agents reveal countless spherical organized bodies which 
could not be formed simply b^' decomposition or trausformed of the 
'contents and membranes of the abdomen,' and must therefore be re- 
garded as a growth or multiplication of similar organized bodies hav- 
ing the properties and functions of seeds or spores, which have, in some 
manner, gained access to the bodies of the Cicada^. It is true, also, 
that this fungus is found not only in male Cicadas who have lost the 
posterior segments of the abdomen, but in jierfect males as well, as also 
in females who are yet in possession of many eggs, and in these speci- 
mens the eggs and fungus completely fill up the abdomen. In view of 
these facts — which are well attested — it seems somewliat strange to find 
Profes.sor Riley quoting without comment the statements of Mr. War- 
der. The spherical bodies referred to have a diameter of about irrroth 
of an inch, and have the appearance of being covered on their exterior 
with small granules, spherical in outline, and about s-oVotb of an inch 
in diameter. In their fresh state they were subjected to the action 
of the iodine solution recommended in Huxley and Martin's ' Practical 
Biology.' A dark border revealed itself, indicating that the cell wall 
had taken the stain. Acetic acid rendered them more transparent. 
Aniline green stained both the cell wall and its contents of a nearlj^ 
uniform color. Being in doubt whether or not the spherical bodies 
were single spores, I subjected some rather dry ones to pressure, and the 
cells thus rui)tured emitted large numbers of small spherical bodies, 
having a diameter of from j-^lojith to siAjnth inch, each large cell hav- 



29 

iug thp. appearance of a ruptured sporangium of the ordiuary PenicUlium 
glauca or Mucor mucerlo ; hence I concluded that the cells were really 
sporangia, filled with spores. So far I have discovered no traces of my- 
celium, upon which these sporangia grow, and am thus led to conclude 
that they multiply by fission — probably external gemmation — and that 
after as po ran gium is thus produced its contents are again divided by a pro- 
cess of fission into numerous spores. As this process was not really seen 
to take place, the foregoing remarks respecting it may be taken as being- 
theoretical; yet, while making my observations, and particularly upon 
the slide treated with aniline green, I noticed a number of transparent 
nucleated bodies, of various sizes, api)raaching that of the large spher- 
ical cells, some of them exhibiting a slight, others a considerable, bulg- 
ing out of the cell wall together with the contents of the cell. In some 
of these, this bulging out had proceeded to a length equal to one-half 
the diameter of the cell itself, and left one to infer that a new cell was 
to be i)roduced, and that, too, by a process of fission. Hence, my cou- 
clusions as before mentioned. This, together with quite a number of the 
fully formed spherical bodies, was seen in material taken from a com- 
plete, perfect male. It is only proper to state that in this case the con- 
tents of the abdomen did not completely fill this cavity, and the ma- 
terial was in rather a semi-liquid state and exhibited also immense num- 
bers of minute spherical and rather long rod-shaped moving bodies 
whicb were doubtless bacteria. These latter were also found in other 
specimens in which the posterior segments were missing and the con- 
tents of the abdomen, although of the mealy character, were yet some- 
what moist, thus affording conditions for the growth and multiplication 
of bacteria. Being curious to know what could be discovered in the 
abdomen of a perfect and active male Cicada, I subjected some of the 
material to examination with a one-quarter inch objective and a 2-inch 
ocular and later with a 1-inch ocular. In the field of the microscope were 
seen numerous flat bands, scattered about over and around each other 
irregularly. In great numbers were seen also very fine hair-like fila- 
ments which could be traced distinctly and were found to belong to the 
flat bands. These latter were made up of a large number of hair-like 
filaments arranged alongside of each other, which filaments emanated 
from each other as fibers from a large thread ; each fiber preserving its 
identity, and not being given off as a branch whose identity is lost in 
its union with the main trunk. What these hair-like filaments really 
were, I was unable to make out." 

I am satisfied that the greater number of Cicadas which escape a 
foi'cible death die from the effects of the fungus previously mentioned. 

As much time as possible was devoted to studying the enemies of the 
Cicada. Jv'ot only those species which kill them, but also those species 
which feed upon the dead insects were noted. Among birds the Eng- 
lish sparrow, Passer domesticus, Leach, is perhaps its greatest enemy. 
Within one week from the date of the appearance of the Cicada in 



30 

Brookville not oac could be found, and I doubt if a single specimen was 
permitted to deposit its eggs, owing to the persistent warfare waged by 
this garrulous sparrow. Of native birds the Robin, Merula migrator ia, 
Sw. & Rich.; Blackbird, Qidsmlus ixirpureus cvneus, Ridg.; Cat-bird, 
Galeoscoptes carol inensis, Cab.; Red-headed Woodpecker, ^lelanerpes 
erytlirocephahis, Sw.; Golden-winged Woodpecker, Cohtpten auratus, Sw. ; 
Towhee Bunting, Pipilo eri/throphthalmiis, Vieill. ; and Orchard Oriole, 
Icterus spuri.us, Bp., were their greatest enemies. Food of every other 
sort apjieared to be neglected in order that they might feast for a lim- 
ited period upon the easily captured Cicada. Of other birds examined 
the following contained Cicada remains: Brown Thrasher, Harporhi/n- 
chus ruj'us, Cab. ; Baltimore Oriole, Icterus galbula, Cones ; Scarlet Tana- 
gev, Pyranga rubra, Vieill.; Blue-gray Guatcatcher, PolioptUa cwrulea, 
Scl. ; Worm-eating Warbler, TTchti inthof herns vermivorus, S. & G. ; Purple 
Martin, Prague subis, Baird; Wood Pewee, Coutopus vireus, (Jub.; Wood 
Thrush, Hi/locichla mustelina, Baird ; Yellow-throated Vireo, Lanivireo 
ft a ri/rons,B Air A; Cardinal Grosbeak, Cardinalisvirginianus, Pyp.; Tufted 
Titmouse, Lophophun.es bicolor, Bp. ; Carolina Chickadee, Parus carolin- 
ensis, And.; Chipping Sparrow. Spizelladomestica, Goaes; Downy Wood- 
])ecker, Picus >'tllosus, L. ; Great-crested Flycatcher, Myiarchus crinitus, 
Cab. ; Indigo bird, Passerina cyanea, Crray ; Co\v bird, Molothrus ater, 
Gray; White-bellied Nuthatch, Sitta caroliuensis, Gmel. ; Yellow-billed 
Cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus, Bp. ; Black-billed Cuckoo, C. erythrophthal- 
mus, Baird; Gold Finch, Astragalinus trislis, Cab.; Crow, Corrus frtigir- 
orns Bartr., aud Cedar bird, Ampelis cedrorum, Baird. But two species 
of all the birds examined showed no evidence of Cicada eating. These 
were the Blue Warbler, JJendroeca cwrulea, Baird, and the Warbling 
Vireo, Vireosylva gilva, Cass. Most birds only eat the softer parts, but 
some species — the Robin, Brown Thrasher, Towhee Bunting, and a few 
others — eat also the wings and legs, and even occasionally the head. I 
found Fox Squirrels, Sciurus niger hidorulanus. Allen, eating them, 
the young showing greater fondness for this food thau did their parents. 
The Ground Squirrel, "Chipmunk," Tnmius striatus, Baird, was very 
fond of them. I have seen this mammal climb to the highest limbs of 
an apple tree seeking Cicadas. When Cicadas fell into our streams 
many of them became the prey of various species of fish. Our fisher- 
men complained of their inability to get fish to take the hook while 
they were feeding upou this new food. The remains of these insects 
were found in Black Bass, Micropterus sa I mo i des, HenshaW; Blue Cat 
Fish, Ivhthiieturus punctatus, Jordan; and White Sucker, (Jatnstomus 
teres, LeS. Rev. D. R. Moore, a valued fellow-worker, found two spe- 
cies of snails, Mesodon exoleta, Binn., and M. elevata. Say, feeding u[)oii 
dead Cicadas. This fact was a great suri)rise to me. But few instances 
were recorded of Digger Wasps killiug these insects. Stizus grandis. 
Say, was the only species observed. Aside from the enemies mentioned 
above, there were many others to which I could not direct mv attention. 



31 

lu general it may be said beetles, spiders, and other insect enemies prey 
upon them incessauth'', while i)arasitic dies, scavenger beetles, and ants 
destroy great numbers of their dead bodies. 

Young trees upon the lands of nurserymen attract the Cicada in great 
numbers. -I do not know that any specific remedy was tried ; if so, no 
doubt it failed, as those interested secured laborers who collected all 
the insects they could and killed them. Here aud in our orchards is 
where the greatest damage was, done. 

Many peculiar ideas are associated with anything that is mysterious. 
To the uneducated mind the regular appearance of the Cicada, with 
which it is incapable of associating any thought of growth or of devel- 
opment through other forms, is a great mystery. Such a person also 
never thinks of an insect save as a destroyerof that which is necessary 
for his welfare. It was not infrequent to hear agriculturists of fossil- 
i?ed minds discussing the amount of damage the Cicadas would proba- 
bly do to growing crops. The expressions of another class of persons 
showed another train of thought. " Why," say they, " these are the 
same kind of locusts whicli troubled Pharaoh in Egypt. The Lord has 
marked them. Don't you hear them say Pha-a-ar-o-oh ?" 

From the best information I can gather, I think with each septeudeci- 
mal visit these insects are becoming less numerous. The sites of towns, 
the immense tracts of cultivated lands, together with artificial ponds 
and other changes which man is causing, are each year lessening the 
amount of ground suitable for their adult life. Besides what man is 
doing to make the country unsuited for their habitation, the insects are 
preyed upon by many enemies which man has brought within the region 
of their habitation. Natural enemies, by the removal of certain bar- 
riers, are enabled to increase. Others, by reason of changes of environ- 
ment, are found in greater numbers within certain restricted areas; 
others, again, by changes of habits, are made more aggressive. All in 
all, he who can carefully look back over the past half or three quarters 
of a century, and intelligently study the great changes which have 
taken place in both fauna and tlora, must conclude that, with but a few 
more returns, this periodical insect will be represented by few or per- 
haps no descendants of its now vast numbers. 



NOTES OF THE YEAE. 

The Colukado Potato Beetle in Georgia.— Iu the spring of the 
present year we received the Colorado Potato Beetle (Doryphora 10- 
lineata) for the first time from the State of Georgia. Under date of May 
18 we received from Mr. Woodward Barnwell, of Savannah, a letter ac- 
companied by specimens of the larva? of this insect. There could be 
no question as to their identity. Both Mr. Barnwell and Dr. A. Oender, 
the president of the Chatham County Agricultural Society and author 
of "Truck Farming at the South," wrote that they had never before 
heard of this insect within the limits of the State. 

The evidence shows that tlie Dori/phora did not reach Savannah' by 
gradual spread, as we have heard of it from no nearer point of late 
years than eastern Tennessee,* and the chances are that it has been 
directly imported from the North. Such an importation is a very easy 
matter, as many of the truck farmers in the vicinity of Savannah buy 
seed potatoes at the North from time to time. Mr. Barnwell himself 
got last winter 110 barrels seed i)otatoes from Aroostook County, 
Maine. Under these circumstances the beetle has probably often been 
taken to Savannah before, and the very fact that it has never heretofore 
developed there in sutticient numbers to be noticed affords the best in- 
dication that it is not much to be feared in so warm a climate. Still we 
advised Mr. Barnwell to be on the safe side, and to destroy it as thor- 
oughly as possible by tlie use of Paris greeu. 

The Sugar oanb Beetle injuring Corn (Plate I, fig. 1).— Six 
years ago Ligyrus rugiceps Lee, injured the sugar-cane crop quite se- 
verely in certain portions of Saint Mary's Parish, Louisiana. A note 
upon this habit was given in the Annual Report of the Department for 
1879 (pp. 246-247), and the rejjort for 1880 contained quite an extended 
article on pages 2;i6-240, the result of observations made by Mr. How- 
ard in the spring of 1881 ujion the infested plantations. The same ar- 
ticle was embodied in Special Eeport No. ;55 of the Department, pub- 
lished April 28, 1881. 

The beetle seems to iiave done little damage to sugarcane outside of 
Saint Mar^-'s Parish along the Bayou Teche, and since the great floods 
in the spring of 1882, which were especially disastrous in that particu- 
lar region, we have heard no further complaint of sugar-cane pests. 

* Specimens of the beetle aad larva were received May 31, 1885, from Mrs. Mary 
Frist, of Chattanooga, Touu., who wrote that they were destroying the crop of Irish 
potatoes in her garden. 
32 



33 

The present seasou, however, we were somewhat surprised to receive 
the same insect — Ligyi-mrugiceps — from Mr. H. M. Houston, of Monroe, 
Union Connty, North Carolina, accompanied by a letter written June 
2, 1SS5, ill which he stated that the insect was new to himself and his 
neighbors, and that it worked just under the sjurface of the ground, cut- 
ting into young corn with five or six leaves, working in as far as the 
heart and killing the center blades without injuring the outside ones 
orwithout cuttii:g the plant down. Fig. 1, Plate 1, was drawn from 
specimens working in sugar-cane, but indicates precisely the method 
of work in jouiig corn. 

Mr. Houston gave no particulars as to the amount of damage being 
done, and although he was written to for further information we did not 
hear from him again, ami the inference is that the beetles disappeared 
without doing much damage. It was so well shown in Louisiana that 
this species is capable of exceptional increase and corresponding injury 
under favorable circumstances that it is not at all improbable that we 
have here the beginning of a serious damage to corn in North Carolina. 

The life-history of this beetle is not known. The most careful search 
in the Louisiana sugar fields in 18S1 failed to show a trace of the larvse 
or pupai, and it was judged probable that they bred in the surrounding 
swamps. Until something definite is learned concerning the life-history 
and larval habits, we can only recommend as a remedy the use of fires 
and trap-lanterns in the field, as the evidence of 1881 shows that the 
beetle is strongly attracted to light. 

The Corn-root Web-worm an old Pest in Indiana. — Professor 
Forbes' recent discovery of Crambus zeellua in Illinois, and his interest- 
ing article upon the species in the Fourteenth Eeport of the State En- 
tomologist of Illinois (1884), in which he treats it as an entirely new 
pest (and such it is for all that has been published concerning it), ren- 
ders the following letter fi'om Mr. B. F. Ferris, of Sunman, Ind., re- 
ceived through our Indiana agent, Mr. Webster, of considerable interest : 

"In the Indiana Farmer, of this date, I notice a communication from 
yourself in regard to a ' new corn pest,' aud asking for information in 
regard to them. They are not' a new pest to me by any means. My 
first experience with them was about thirty years ago. I had broken 
up a field of 17 acres of sod, and planted it ou the 1st of May in as fine 
condition as I ever had a sod. Almost every hill came up, and I would 
not have paid a very high premium to have been insured 50 bushels of 
corn to the acre. But the corn was not more than well up before I no- 
ticed that the cut-worms, as I thought, were cutting it off. Upon ex- 
amination, however, I discovered that they were not our common cut- 
worms, but a small dark-colored worm that enveloped itself in a slight 
web, just as you have described them, aud for want of a name I called 
them ' web-worms,' and they are known by that name in this neighbor- 
hood at this time. As a result, they entirely destroyed my field of 
corn, with the exception of about an acre or so at each end of the field, 
17334:-No. 12 3 



34 

where the ground was a little broken by small hollows. They were very 
uuinerous in this vicinity that season, and occasionally there have been 
a few of them since, bnt not doing- much damage until the present sea- 
son. In one held of mine, which had been pastiiral two years before 
breaking, they have almost entirely taken nj) 4 or 5 acres, so that I have 
planted a part of it with white beans, and contemplate sowing the bal- 
ance with buckwheat. 

"I think they are produced by a small, whitish miller, with dirty, 
brownish stripes upon it, as I have seen a great many of them about 
the fields. They made their appearance about the time the worms com- 
menced their depredations. I also saw a great many about on the first 
visitation of the 'web-worms,' and supposed at the time that they were 
the authors of the mischief." * * * [B. F. Ferris, t^unman. Ind., 
July 4, 1885. 

MONEPHORA BICINCTA DAMAGING BERMUDA GRASS. [Plate I, fig. 

6.J — This rather striking looking bug, belonging to the family Cercopid:¥, 
and easily recognizable from its marked coloration, is widely distributed 
and by no means rare over the more southern portion of the country, but 
has never been reported as iujuringcultivated plants. This season, how- 
ever, a largH number of specimens were received from Hon. A. P. But- 
ler, Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of South Carolina, dated 
Columbia, October 20, in which he stated that they appeared in 1884 
on the farm of Mr. Speigner, on the Congaree Kiver, near Columbia, 
and destroyed a small patch of Jiermuda grass. This year it again ap 
peared in large numbers on the same farm, and completely ruined a 
10-acre field of the same grass. Major Butler examined the field in 
person,. and states that it looked as if a fire had passed over it, while 
thousands of the bugs were found. This exceptional increase of the 
insect is of considerable interest. The best remedy will be found in 
burning over the field in the fall. 

A NEW Enemy to the Persimmon. — Mr. C. W. Johnson, of Saint 
Augustine, Fla., wrote us, June 23, concerning the work of an insect 
which punctured twigs of Persimmon {«id layed its eggs, from which 
the larvte hatched and bored into the heart wood. The specimens were 
recognized as Oberea bimacidafa, a beetle which customarily lays its 
eggs in Raspberry or Blackberry, but which we have also observed to 
oviposit in Cottonwood. It has never before been recorded as injuring 
Persimmon. Oberea schaumii, a closely related species, we have also 
observed on Cottonwood, and Mr. Schwarz has found it ovipositing in 
Sassafras. 

The Black Scale of California {Lecanium olecc Bernard). — This 
destructive scale was treated of in the Annual Report of the Depart- 
ment for 1880, pp. 336-337, but little beyond structural details was given 
We have received the past season a few notes concerning it from Mr. 



35 

Alfred W. Hiude, of A.ualieiin, Los Angeles Couuty, California, which 
we think of sufficient interest to publish : 

"This is the most comiuoii species of scale insect found in southern 
California, being especially partial to the orange and olive, on which it 
thrives and increases very rapidly. It appears to do very little harm 
to the tree itself, even when allowed to multiply undisturbed to its full 
capacity. But, owing to the sweet secretion which the scale is con- 
stantly exuding, and which drops on the leaves and branches, it is 
always accompanied by a species of black fungus, which thrives on the 
sweet secretion combined with moisture. It is this fungus whicli does 
the real harm, for it grows on the fruit as well as on the leaves and 
branches. In the case of olives it renders the fruit unfit for making a 
fine quality of oil ; and with oranges it renders the fruit so unsightlj' 
that it does not bring near the price that clean fruit does, unless 
each orange is thoroughly rubbed with a moist cloth, which is a very 
tedious process. When the scale is killed the fungus disappears, hence 
the fight against the scale. It is one of the easiest species to kill ; a 
good kerosene emulsion, if thoroughly applied, is sure death to them, 
provided it is given at the right time, viz., just after the young have 
left the shelter of the parent scale. To make a thorough job of it 
the trees should have two sprayings, at intervals of several weeks, 
as all the young do not hatch out at the same time. A year ago 
last September we gave our old seedling orange trees a good spray- 
ing with a kerosene emulsion, but owing to our lack of experience in 
mixing the oil and soap, it was not a thorough emulsion, and hence 
only killed about 50 per cent, of the scale. The season of 1884 was 
extremely wet, and I find that the black scale increases much more 
rapidly in a wet than in a dry season. This wetness, combined with the 
ineflectual spraying, caused the fungus to greatly increase, and the or- 
anges were extremely dirty, more so than in any jirevious season that I 
can remember. The present season (1885) has been the exact reverse 
of last season, being so dry that we havQ had less than one inch of rain- 
fall since the first of January last to the present date (November 1). 
Besides being dry the summer has been very hot; at two periods a few 
weeks apart in August and September the mercury rose to 107° in the 
shade. At the first hot spell the heat continued for nearly a week. A 
few days after this hot week we noticed that all the old scale appeared 
to be dead on the orange trees. I could hardly believe that the hot 
weather could ilothis, so I made further examinations, and theu I would 
have another doubting fit and start out and examine them again, but 
always with the same result, viz., I would not find more than two or three 
live oil-scale on the trees. The young ones I did not think to look for, 
as they were probably not yet hatched, except in a few instances. Theu 
we had the last very hot day, September 23, when a thermometer placed 
in the sun, four feet fromtheground, registered 118°, with a hot, burning 



36 

wind all day. This capped the climax tor tbe scale and I have uo doubt 
saved this part of tbe State many thousauds of dollars in the improved 
condition of the fruit without the expense of spraying'. I have Just now 
(November 1) made a thorough examiuatiou of our orange and olive 
trees, and find the following results: On large olive trees, no old scale 
alive, and 50 per cent, of the young dead; on old s:?edling orange trees, 
old scale all dead, and only 10 per cent, of the young alive; on young 
and medium-sized budded orange trees (4 to 7 feet high) I have been un- 
able to tiud a single live scale, young or old. Uuder many of the old, 
dried up scale insects 1 find what ai)pear to be masses of dried eggs, 
but as ray lens is not of sufiHcient power for me to be certain, I will 
mail you a sample so you can be sure if this is the case. I should be 
glad to hear from you on this ])oint-. The fruit of both olives and or- 
anges is the cleanest I have ever seen here, being entirely free from old, 
black fungus. We have not sprayed the trees this year, as it was not 
necessary." 

An examination of the specimens sent showed that all the eggs were 
empty, and that about one-half of the scales had been parasitized by 
the common California pi.rasite of the Black Scale, Tomocern caU/or- 
nica Howard, PS was evidenced by the circular holes of exit, too large 
for any other species. 

The Black Scale of California found in South Carolina. — 
This insect {Lecanium ole(e Bernard) is found in California infesting a 
great variety of trees and is one of the most serious enemies to Orange, 
Lemon, and other fruit trees in that State. In Europe it is confined to 
the Olive, and is but occasionally found on other plants. The si)ecies 
has not been definitely recorded in this country from any other locality 
than California, though Professor Comstock, in his Rei)ort as Entomol- 
ogist to this Department for 1880 (p. 33C), mentions a scale received 
from Fort George, Fla., on Live Oak, Holly, Oleander, and Orange as 
apparently the same. 

Under date of May 29, 188.5, Dr. J. H. Mellichamp, of Blufiton, S. C, 
sent a bark louse from White-flowering Oleander, which he had noticed 
for the past two or three yeai's, which proved identical with California 
specimens of this insect. It is impossible to saj* at present what the 
probabilities are of the spread of this insect in the Southeastern States. 
If the insect mentioned by Professor Comstock five years ago was in- 
deed Lecaniuin olea; it would then seem as though the chances were 
against its becoming a serious pest in the East. 

BiBio albipennis as an injurious Insect. — The general opinion 
among entomologists has always been that the White-winged Bibio 
could not be called an injurious insect, as it normally feeds in the larva 
state on damp, dead leaves on the ground or upon galls attached to such 
leaves; in other words, upon decaying vegetation. Our correspondence 
this year with Mr. C. F. Walters, of Northumberland, Pa., however, 



37 

shows that where introduced with manure or compost they may injure 
certain crops. We quote a portion of his letter: 

* * * "I am a trucker, and I find these maggots are becoming more 
numerous every year. The first that I ever saw was four years ago, 
■when they got into my cold frames and destroyed some of my plants. 
Since then they have been on a rapid increase; at the same time I 
never was very much alarmed on account of them until last fall, when 
1 plowed my ground (which I always do in the fall, preparatory for 
spring) I found them to be very numerous. They inhabit the eartii not 
singly, but in masses. * # * j tried to <;ount a batch of them and 
found that the number would not end in hundreds, but lead to thou- 
sands. When I find them in my cold frames the only remedy I have is 
to lift all tiie ground, together with the plants, and cast them out. The 
area which they occupy is from 10 to 24 inches. They are found very 
clo.se to the surface, just so that they iiave a very slight protection. 
When I plowed my ground in the fall I found them under old cabbage 
leaves and under anything that would shield them from tiie light. 
* * * The only soil that I have as yet found them in is such as has 
been heavily manured for several years in succession. In fa^jt it seems 
to me that they breed in the manure; at least 1 have found them in old 
manure that I had purchased from jiarties who had kept it over a year, 
and consequently it was vei'y fine and seemed to suit them. Cold and 
freezing seem to have no effect upon them. Just as soon as there is the 
least thaw, if there are any plants suitable to their taste, they will at- 
tack them." * » * [G.F.WA.-LrERS,Xorthumlwrlnn<l,Pii., March23, 
1885. 

We advised as a remedy the i)lentiful sprinkling of the infested earth 
with a kerosene emulsion, well diluted where plants are liable to be 
damaged, but strong where used on earth in the spring before plants 
have been set out. 

An Enemy to Silkworms. — The common Spined Soldier-bug (Po- 
disus .sphtosus Dall.) is a well-known predaceous insect, and is often men- 
tioned in treatises on injurious insects as one of the beneficial enemies 
of the destructive species. It has turtied up the present season, how- 
ever, in the role of a noxious insect itself. Mr. E. J. Mc Auley, of Oak- 
dale, 111., who fed his silk-worms on leaves of the Osage Orange, found 
that certain specimens of the bug, brought in by accident upon the 
leaves, played havoc among his worms, sucking their juices and de 
stroying them. This naturally suggests that the leaves of both Osage 
and Mulberry should be carefully examined for predaceous insects be 
fore giving them to the worms. 

Great Damage to Beans bv Blister Beetles. — Nuttall's Blister 
Beetle [Gantharis nnttaUi, Say), one of the largest and most beautiful 
species of its family, has often been reported as damaging field crops. 
In the Annual Report of the Department for 1879 it was recorded as 
doing damage to beans at Fargo, Dak., and the present season it has 



38 

api)eared in great miinbers and inflicted severe injury on the great 
seed farm of Nortlirnp, Braslan & Co., of Minneapolis, Minn., at La 
Moure, Dak. This firm has nine hundred acres in beans alone at 
La Moure, and the loss which they sustained was quite serious. We 
advised the nse of the old remedy of driving the beetles into wind- 
rows of straw which are then burned. 

Anthomyia angustifroxs a LicfNivoROUS INSECT. — Late in the 
summer we received from Mr. John Gr. Jack, of Ghateaugay Basin, Prov- 
ince of Quebec, Canada, specimens of a tly which he described as feeding 
in the larva state upon planted beans. Somewhat to our surprise the 
flies proved to belong to Anthomyia angustifrons, Meig., a species which 
we had described both in our Ninth Report on the Insects of Missouri 
and in the First Report of the United States Entomological Commission, 
as preying upon the egg pods of tiie Rocky Mountain Locust. This dis- 
crepancy in habit is so marked tliat we wrote to Mr. Jack for full par- 
ticulars and quote from his reply : 

" In answer to your inquiries about the beau-feeding habit of An- 
Ihomyid caloptcnl, 1 gladly give what notes I iiossess. I first noticed 
the larvic on June 25. We had jilanted a bushel of Golden Wax beans 
and a few of some other varieties oti or about June 15. They had not 
come through the soil by the 25th, and on scratciiing away a little of 
the earth above the rows, I was surprised to tind that, although the 
beans were well si)ronted and some of them were near the sui'face, yet 
they had an unhealthy ai)pearance,and on examining the cotyledons and 
stems, I founil them infested with maggots. They were in numbers of 
from one or two to twenty-five or more in a plant, and the interior of 
the bean and stalk was so eaten away in many instances that only a 
very thin wall remained. I collected a large number of the larva' and 
kept them until they had produced the flies. The larva; were collected 
on June 25, and on the 28th a good number had entered the ground to 
pupate, and on July 2 all of my si)ecimens had pupated and I could 
not find a maggot in the field. On July 9 and 10 most of the imagines 
appeared. One-half of the field in which these larvie were so abun- 
dant had been sown in buckwheat the year before, and the other half 
had a black currant plantation from which the old bushes had been re- 
moved. It was in that part of the field where the currant bushes had 
been that the Anthomyia larvse were most destructive. Certaiidy more 
than nine-tenths (90 per cent.) of the beans were completely destroyed 
and never grew sutiiciently to reach the ground. On the other half of 
the field, where the buckwheat had been grown, very few of the beans 
were affected. They were all coveied with a plow, with about three 
inches of soil. The soil is a sandy loam, and the rows ran north and 
south through both pieces of land, so that the diflerence caused by the 
attack of Anthomyia was very marked. In another field, on July 17, I 
found occasional beans that had not come thi-ough the ground, and in 
them I found several maggots which I think were of the same species, 



39 

but I did not keep them. I tbink that I have noticed similar larvfe in 
young growing beans during the past year or two, but they were rare 
and I gave no attention to them. Occasionally the infested beans grew 
through the surface and the first leaves expanded, but they soon turned 
yellow and withered and died." 

The Tile-horned Prionus in Prairie Land.^Tu our Second Mis' 
souri Report we gave several instances of the finding of the larvre of 
Prionus imbricornis in prairie land some distance from large trees, show- 
ing that in all i)robability they fed on the roots of herbaceous and even 
annual plants. The past summer another instance of the same thing 
has come to our notice, and Mr. Samuel W. Glenn, of Huron, Dak., 
states in a letter dated June 3, accompanying a specimen of this larva, 
that tliey were tbund " in large numbers by Mr. J. B. Coomer, a farmer 
residing six and a half miles southwest of Huron, in ground which was 
broken in June, 1SS3, and not since plowed till today. Their average 
distance from the surface was about .seven inches. There are no trees 
within a radius of twenty miles." 

The Clover-seed Midge in AYisconsin. — Up to the present season 
the Glover-seed Midge (Cect<7(>(»(/«'(( lei/nminivola Lintuer) has been found 
only in New York, Vermont, District of Golumbia, Virginia, and one 
locality in Pennsylvania (Lewisburg, Union County). During the past 
year, however, we have received specimens of infested heads of red 
clover from eastern Wisconsin, where it seems to have just been no- 
ticed for the first time. The chances are against the theory of recent in- 
troduction, however, aud that the probabilities are that it has been pres- 
ent in the State for some years, becoming abundant enough to attract 
attention only this season. Mr. (Jlaus Oesan, of New Holstein, Calu- 
met County, wrote under date of June 20, 1885, that hardly a single 
blossom was to be seen in any of the Red Clover fields in his vicinity, 
while Alsike a,nd White Clover blossomed as usual. He noticed this 
same paucity of bloom in the second crop of the previous year, but the 
fii'St crop of 18S-t was full of fine blossoms. 

This insect was treated in the reports of the Entomologist, United 
States Department of Agriculture, for 1878 and 1879, aud the remedy 
recommended in the latter report is to cut the first crop of the season 
three weeks earlier than usual, giving the larvse of the midge no time 
to mature. This remedy necessitates that the farmer should be familiar 
with the insect in all stages, and should make careful exaaiiuations at 
short intervals until the proper time for cutting arrives. All volunteer 
clover should also be mowed, and all of the farmers of a neighborhood 
should cut at about the same time, as otherwise the remedy will be 
only partly successful. 

Dr. Lintner, in his First Report as State Entomologist of New York (p. 
54), says : 

In the mauy iiistauces ia which our economic eutomologists have recommended 
plowing under the infested crop, I would venture to supplement this direction : fol 



40 

low with a liberal applicatiou of fresh gas-lime, if it uau be coiivenieutly obtained 
of perhaps a hundred bushels to the acre. I believe that this would prove the best 
possible method of arresting severe attacks of the two great clover pests, the clover- 
seed midge {Cecidomi/ia le;]itminicola) and the clover-root hornv {Hylastes irifolii), when- 
ever they occur within easy reach of the gas works of our cities, &c. 

This recommendation followed Dr. Lintuer's previous statement* to 
the effect that the best remedy he was prepared to offer was " turning 
deeply under the infested fields while the larv;e are most abundant " or 
(adopting' our suggestion made in the report of the Entomologist, U. S. 
De])t. Agr. for 1878, p. 251) " cessation from clover culture for a period 
of time." These radical plans for extermination need not, however, be 
adopted unless the total destruction of the seed crop lias been brought 
about, or unless the work of the midge is combined with that of the 
Root-borer (HylemiuH irifolii), aud both hay and seed crops are de- 
stroyed. Where damage by tiie midge aloue is concerned it will be 
well to give the remedy first mentioned — early cutting — a fair trial. 

COLASPIS FLAVIDA INJURING THE LeConTE PeAR. — The LeOoutC 

pear is a very popular fruit in parts of the South, and a great deal of 
capital is invested in its culture, particularly in parts of Georgia, from 
which State enormous (juantities are shijtped every year to northern 
markets. Although, strictly speaking, it is a second-class fruit, its ex- 
treme prolificacy and hardiness render it valuable. It has been claimed 
that it is blight-proof and that insects will not injuie it, but both of 
these assertions are unwarranted, as young trees, uj) to four or five 
years of age, frequently blight, and as the present season has develoi)ed 
an insect enemy of some importance. 

This insect is the well known Colaspis Jfarida, commonly known as 
the "Grrape-vine Colaspis." Specimens were forwarded to us, July 23, 
1885, bj- Mr. L. C. Bryan, of Savannah, together with a newsi)aper ac- 
count of the method of work and the damage done in Liberty County, 
Georgia. The injury complained of was simply the work of the adult 
beetle, aud consisted in riddling the young growth and the; tender young 
leaves as they unfolded iu May with small holes, as close together '-as 
the holes in a pepper box." We treated this species in our Third Mis- 
souri Report, showing that in the larva state it feeds on the roots of 
strawberries, and, alter issuing as an adult beetle, it feeds at first on 
strawberry leaves and afterwards flies to the vineyard, where it riddles 
the leaves of grape. It is also found feeding on clover leaves in July 
and August near Washington, and nuiy be found throughout the woods 
on the wild grapevines. The species seems to be single- brooded in Mis- 
souri, and is probably so also iu Georgia. No other larval food-plaut 
than strawberry has been found, though doubtless such exist. 

No satisfactory remedy has been proposed against the insect in the 
larva or pupa state, but where the adults occur on pear trees in any 

•The Insects of the Clover Plant, Fortieth Ann. Kept. N. Y. State Agr. Soc. for HSO, 
Author's Edition, pp. 11-15. 



41 

number the trees should be sprayed, if the fruit is very youug, with 
the Paris-greeu or Loudou-purple sokitiou. If they occur iu iujurious 
numbers later iu the year they can be jarred dowu upon sheets satu- 
rated with keroseue. 

Gkeat Damage by the Cottonwood Boreb. — In our last annual 
report we devoted a few pages to the Cottonwood Leaf Beetle [Plagio- ■ 
dera scrlpia), which was surprisingly abundant during last season, and 
iucideutally mentioned the Cottonwood Borer {Saperda cnlcarata), with 
the statement that its injuries had not of late been at all comparable 
with those of the former insect. During the season of 1885, however, 
not a single complaint of the Leaf Beetle has been received, while the 
work of the Borer in parts of Dakota has been very noticeable. Dr. J. 
Y. Lauderdale, post surgeon at Fort Sully, sent us specimens of the 
larviB on July 25, with the statement that they were committing "fear- 
ful ravages" among the cottonwoods at the post. "Trees of ten and 
twelve years' growth are dying from the top limbs to the ground." 

This borer is a very diflBcult insect to tight, piercing the trunk of the 
tree, as it often does, midway up amongst the branches. There is reallj' 
no remedy save cutting out the pupse in April or May, or the larvae ear- 
lier. The beetles make their appearance in June. Where a tree is so 
badly damaged that it has become unsightly, it should be cut down and 
burned before the beetles issue. 

Leptocoris trivittata injuring Apples (Plate I, fig. 5.). — This 
bug is quite a common species and has been found in a great variety of 
situations. It is characteristically a plant-feeder, but has never been 
known to occur in such numbers as to do much damage to any culti- 
vated crop. It has been found in large flowers like magnolia, covered 
with pollen, and occurs in summer on the stems and leaves of annual 
plants, which it probably punctures. In August of the present year, 
however, specimens were sent to us by Mr. A. L. Siler, of Ranch, Kane 
County, TTtah, as injuring fruit at Kanab, the county seat of the same 
county. Mr. Siler's attention was called to them by the postmaster, 
Mr. B. L. Young, who stated that these insects were destroying their 
fruit crop, eating the fruit as fast as it ripened. On one tree which Mr. 
Siler examined, and which bore apples of a medium size, they wexe 
present in enormous numbers, and every apple that he could see was 
covered with the bugs. They were stated to have bred on the Box Elder 
shade trees {Ncguitdo accroides). 

We wrote i\Ir. Siler, advising him to have the trees sprayed with a 
dilute kerosene emulsion by means of a force-pump with a spray-nozzle. 
The breeding of the buss on Box Elder, and their desertion of this tree 
for the ripening fruit, makes the case precisely similar to that of the 
Eed Bug or Cotton Staiuer [Dyndercm sutureUus, to which it is moreover 
quite closely related) in Florida, as where cotton and oranges are grown 
near together the bugs desert the cotton, on which they breed, for the 
more attractive fruit. There the bugs are attracted to piles of cotton- 



42 

seed or decaying oranges, on which they cluster iu the cool of the morn- 
ing, and are then readily killed in bnlk by drenching them with hot 
water or pure kerosene. 

This offers a suggestion as to the probable efficacy of a similar rem- 
edy for the Leptocoris, although as yet no experiments have been tried 
and no extended observations made as to its habits. 

Peoconia UNDATA IN INJURIOUS NUMBERS. (Plate I, tig. 4.) — Aug- 
ust 14, 1885, Dr. A. Oemler, of Wilmington Island, Georgia, wrote us of 
an insect which was becoming very abundant and injurious to a number of 
different plants iu his vicinity. August 29, in reply to a request, he sent 
a number of specimens of Froconia tindata, and among them one speci- 
men of Analcises moUipes, included probably on account of its super- 
ficial resemblance to the former species. He wrote that he observed 
them to be more common than usual in 1884, particularly on the young 
growth of a Black Hamburg grape-vine, and that this year they were 
plentiful, doing considerable damage to Okra by sucking the sap from 
its stems, and occurring also upon " mile maize." Writing again, Sep- 
tember C, he stated that one patch of Okra was nearly killed out, and 
that there were " eight oi- ten specimens at a time to each plant." 

Occurrences of the Army Worm during the Season. — 1885 
has been a decidedly oft'year*tor Leucania ■unipuncta. In no case was 
the normal second brood injurious to any extent, so far as we can learn. 
The third brood appeared, however, iu injurious numbers at Deer Park, 
Garrett County, Mary land, damaging the oat crop to a considerable extent 
on the farm of the ex-United States Senator, H. G. Davis, during the 
first week iu August. Either the same brood retarded, or a fourth gen- 
eration appeared about September 18 in Sussex County, Delaware. 
One of our correspondents, Dr.E.G.Ellegood, of Concord, writing under 
date of September 21, says : 

"They made their appearance three days ago in a i)iece of low corn- 
field in this county. In one of my professional rides yesterday I 
came in contact with them. Though but three days in operation they 
have utterly destroyed 8 or 10 acres of corn. Tlie ground is covered 
with them and with their excrementitious dropijings." 

On September 2, Mr. .John B. Smith, visiting Goshen, Orange County, 
New York, for the purpose of studying the Onion Cut-svorm (Agrotis 
»ies6ona), found that the Army Worm was quite abundant in the oat fields 
near that place, so much so as to attract general notice. Returniug to 
the same locality on October 5. he found no traces of larvse, eggs, or im- 
agines, and only a few pupa shells iu the oat fields, but the larvse could 
probably have been found in the neighboring grasslands. 

One of our correspondents, Mr. M. S. Crane, of Caldwell, N. J., wrote 
us October 13, that while sugaring for moths August 26 he counted over 
forty Army Worm moths on his first seven baits. He has captured the 
moths every year, but this season they were unusually abundant. No 
damage from the worms, howevei', was reported from his vicinity. 



43 

California Eemedies for the Woolly Aphis. — Mr. W. Gr. Klee 
writes in Bulletin Xo. 55 of the Agricultural Experiment Station of the 
University of California about the widespread disease of the apple tree 
produced by the Woolly Aphis (Schizoneura Janigera) and its repression. 
He describes the insect and the astonishing rapidity of its increase in 
the dry climate of California. After trying the various remedies sug- 
gested for its extermination upon the twigs, such as rubbiug kerosene 
on the infested spots, or washing them with lye (three-quarter pounds 
to the gallon), or with a solution of whale-oil soap, or sulpho-carbonate 
of potassium, he found them only of use in arresting the disease. If, 
however, the roots are once thoroughly infested, all the remedies usu- 
ally recommended proved insufficient or impracticable. Gas lime was 
found very efficacious, as well as inexpensive. It has to be used with 
care, and the dose must be regul;ited according to the character of the 
soil and subsoil and the age of the trees. In a porous and deep soil there 
is less danger than in a clayey one, where the water charged with the 
antidote permeates the soil very slowly, and has time to corrode the 
bark. It is always safe to use only a small dose first — from one shovel- 
ful on a small tree to four on a very large one, spread over the surface, 
according to the spread of the roots ; the rain will wash it into the soil. 
Fresh ashes should be piled close about the trunk to prevent the aphis 
from descending co the roots. He found that lady-bugs would consume 
most of the Aphids adhering to the twigs, and to protect these benefi- 
cial insects it is wise to have conifers growing in the vicinity of the or- 
chards to provide hibernating quarters for them. Two to three spray- 
ings of the trees are also recommended ; the first application with hot 
water of 140° F., the second with tobacco water and whale-oil soap in 
the following proportions: In a decoction of tobacco (1 gallon water to 
one-half pound tobacco) put half a pound of whale-oil soap. This mix- 
ture ought to be applied at about 130° F., and should be followed in 
about a week by another application. 

Seedlings of the Golden Russet and Eawle's .Janet are exempt, pos- 
sessing tough and wiry roots. 

The Hessian Fly in California. — A number of notices have oc- 
curred in the California newspapers during the season, relative to the 
appearance of the Hessian Fly on the Pacific Coast. Anxious to learn 
the truth of these reports, we wrote for confirmation to Mr. Matthew 
Cooke, of Saci'amento, who answered under date of May 29 that he had 
traveled extensively through the infested section of the State and had 
seen unmistakable proofs of the presence of the fly. He defines the 
region as follows : 

" Take a map of California; find Vallejo, in Solano County (opposite 
Mare Island Navy yard), and draw a line to Benicia (8 miles). From 
Beuicia continue the line to Suisun, and then in a north or northwest 
direction draw a line that will fall ni>rth of Xapa City, in Napa County ; 
thence back to Vallejo. This will be a line of nearly 60 miles, and the 



44 

graiu lands iu tbis section are infested by tbe Hessian Fly. A section 
of coiuitiy in Sonoma County, located between Petalnma and Santa 
Eosa, is also infested. I have not examined other sections reported. 
About six years ago it ap])eared in afield of grain (wheat) near Vallejo, 
and lias spread since that time. Mr. Browidee, of Creston, about 10 
miles from where it first started, lost .'>80 acres of wheat in 1883." 

Specimens which Mr. Cooke sent with his letter ])roved the correct- 
ness of his determination. If the insect has really, as he states, been a 
denizen of California for six years, it seems strange that the fact should 
never before have been authoritatively placed on record. We have 
been on the lookout for such a fact ever since the ])ublication of Dr. 
Packard's first map of the distribution of the species,* and when Mr. 
Cooke in his work on injurious insects, in 1883t, stated that he had no 
knowledge of its existence in California, we accepted his evidence as 
practically conclusive. 

We shall now watch its further spread in the State with interest, 
more particularly to see whether the energetic Californians will fight 
this i)est anj more successfully than the Eastern farmers have done. 

It is worthy of note also that the False Chinch Bug {Ni/sitis destructor) 
Las done great damage in vineyards in California during the summer, 
and that it was also reported as injuring rye anil wheat. 

'Wheel Bugs "destroying Hive Bees.— In October we received 
from Mr. C. M. Cribbens, of Winchester, Va., a live specimen of the 
Wheel Bug ( Prionot us cri status), with the information that it was found 
in abundance upon his grounds and preyed upon bis honey bees, lurk- 
ing about their hives. Although the Wheel Bug is, so far as we know, 
exclusively a predaceous insect, this particular habit has not, we think, 
before been observed. 

Agonodebits pallipes injurious to Corn (Plate I, fig. 2). — This 
common ground beetle was, until quite recently, supposed to be strictly 
caruivorous. In 1883, Professor Forbes, in the Twelfth Report of tbe 
State Entomologist of Illinois, page 27, recorded that he found tbis 
species (referring to it as A. comma) under the clods and in the ground 
about the roots of corn in a field, which was injured by the Corn-root 
Worm {Diabrotica longicornis), and on examination of tbe stomach con- 
tents they were found to have partaken both of animal and vegetable 
food. In the same report (p. 43) he states that be found them in a field 
of corn infested by the Chinch Bug, and examination showed that they 
bad fed in part on Chinch Bugs and other insects, but also on vegeta- 
tion, which appeared to have been roots of corn. On page 111 (loc.cit.) 
he states that a dissection of the stomachs of fifteen specimens of this 

* Report upon the Rocky Mountain locust .and other insects, &c. Ninth Ann. Rept. 
U. S. Geol. and Geogr. Snrv. Terr., Washington, 1877. 

t "Injurious insects of the orchard, vineyard," &c. By Matthew Cooke, Sacramento, 
1883. 



45 

species showed the presence of 50 per cent, of vegetable material, all 
fragineuts of the higher plants except 3 per cent, of commoa fungi. 

Dnring the last summer specimens of this beetle were received from 
Illinois (H. H. Harris, Lynnville, Morgan County) and Iowa (J. M. 
Evans, Salem, Henry County, through Dr. J. M. Shaffer, of Keokuk), 
with the information that it was damaging young corn by gnawing into 
the seed grain and by eating the sprouting roots. The exact amount 
of damage done was not stated, but it was said to be quite extensive. 
Specimens were sent to the Department showing the beetle actually ea-« 
gaged in eating a large cavity into the seed, as shown in the figure, so 
that there can be no doubt as to the accuracy of the observation. 

If this damage should become extensive, a satisfactorj' remedy will 
be found in soaking all seed-corn for a short time before planting in 
some arsenical solution, such as Paris green or London purple, in water. 
Such a course will not injure the geriuiuative quality of the seed, and 
will probably result in the death of all beetles which attempt to gnaw 
the seed. 



46 



EXPLANATION TO PLATE. 



Fig. 1. — Ligijrus rugiceps — natural size (after Comstock). 
Fig. 2. — Agonoderiis pallipes — enlarged (original). 
Fig. 3. — Gelecltia obliquistriijella — enlarged (original). 
Fig. 4. — Proconia iindaia — enlarged (original). 
Fig. 5. — Leptocoris tririttala — enlarged (original). 
Fig. 6. — Monephora iiciHcte— enlarged (original). 



Eulletiu 12, Division of Entomology, Department of Agriculture. 



PLATE I. 





Fit'. 4. 





Fig. 0. 



I 



' ur UUNGRESS 



021 468 388 A 



